Nine Lives
by Gargravarr
Summary: Co-written with Dayraider. A chance encounter on a forest vacation gives Link a new perspective on his relationship with his new lover... Yaoi LinkxPit, fluffy lemon from the off, Neko Link! Don't Like Don't Read!
1. Chapter 1

This is a collaboration between myself and Dayraider (fanfiction dot net slash ~dayraider). We love the pairing and the concept behind it, so we're taking it and running with it!  
Warning: contains fluff, yaoi and smokin' hot neko action! Thou hast been warned, so either enjoy or hit Back!

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**Nine Lives**  
Chapter 1

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The last star slowly faded in the sky as the morning sun grew brighter. It cast long shadows across the rolling hills and began to warm the crisp morning air, drying the dew that coated the tall grass. A large chestnut horse lazily munched on some wildflowers, casually ignoring the sounds emanating from a tent that had been pitched nearby.

"Faster Link…faster!" Pit breathed lustfully as he stared up at the Hylian above him. He pulled his legs up and locked his ankles behind Link's back. He moaned deeply as his lover obliged his request.

"Oh Pit…" Link whispered as he looked down into the angel's brilliant blue eyes. "I love you so much." He punctuated this by leaning down and delivering a sweet kiss to his boyfriend.

Pit wrapped his arms around Link's neck, pulling him even closer. He parted his lips and snaked out his tongue, immediately meeting Link's. The feelings and emotions coursing through him were like a drug, he couldn't get enough of them…he couldn't get enough of Link.

The two had been lovers for just a few weeks and had decided that a mini vacation from the training and contests of the Smash Mansion was just what they needed. It would give them time to cast everything aside and concentrate on each other, and since then, they had fallen even deeper in love with one another, something that neither of them thought possible.

"Link…" Pit softly panted, breaking off the kiss. "You feel…so good."

Looking into Pit's mesmerizing eyes, Link could only chuckle. "You're amazing," he whispered as he started thrusting a little harder, this resulting in slight grunts from the youth beneath him. He felt Pit's slender fingers weave through his long, blond hair and moaned.

Sex with Pit was unlike anything that he had experienced before. Not only was the angel incredibly beautiful and sexy beyond compare, he had a way of holding off his orgasm until Link reached his. This simultaneous release would take the already incredible to new heights, often leaving them exhausted and sometimes even on the verge of passing out.

Panting now, Pit whimpered as Link slowly pulled out. "What…?" He started to say before he felt Link's hands on his backside, slowly pushing him over. Smiling broadly, he rolled onto his stomach and instantly felt Link's hands on his hips, raising them slightly into the air.

"I love making love to you like this," Link whispered as he got into position. He then slowly pushed himself back into the youth, resulting in a slight gasp from Pit. "You're so beautiful." Before him were two long and slender wings, brilliantly white and incredibly soft. He laid down against Pit's back as he began thrusting, feeling the downy feathers stroke his chest.

Pit grasped the sleeping bag tightly and moaned loudly. The angle that Link was now at caused him to hit the sensitive spot deep within him with each thrust. "Link…wow…" was all he could manage as he too got closer. He felt Link gently nibble on his ear, causing him to whimper. "Link…"

"Almost there Pit…almost…" Suddenly Link tensed up and cried out, hugging Pit tightly against him as he was plunged into unbelievable ecstasy. "Pit!" He yelled as he began flooding Pit with his seed, trembling from the sensations as he held his love. Slowly, he regained his senses and realized that Pit was beneath him, shaking slightly. "You didn't…?" he asked, somewhat surprised.

Pit was panting and trembling. "I was hoping…you could do it the other way," he breathed.

Link smiled broadly. He knew that Pit immensely enjoyed to be orally pleasured, so he slowly pulled out and carefully rolled his lover onto his back. "Of course, I'll do anything for you," whispered Link as he scooted down. Before him was the angel's straining erection, begging for attention.

With his arms submissively above his head and his legs splayed, Pit moaned loudly as Link slowly went down on his hardness. His eyes rolled back and slid closed as he felt the warmth of his lover's mouth caress him tenderly, making him moan. "Oh Link!" he gasped as his lover began to slowly bob his head. It didn't take long until he found himself with his fingers again running through Link's hair, moaning and whimpering deeply as his wings began to twitch. Eventually, he stiffened up and gasped loudly as he started releasing into Link's mouth.

Link slowed as he felt Pit reach climax. Feeling the angel's body writhe in pleasure was wonderful, and knowing that he'd been able to give the one he loved above all so much pleasure made him proud. He collected Pit's seed in his mouth, enjoying the sweet taste of every drop. Once his lover had finished, Link slowly pulled off the twitching member. He looked up to see Pit's rapidly rising and falling chest, the angel enjoying a blissful afterglow. With a smile on his face, he slowly climbed over Pit and gently laid down on him. Leaning in, he kissed the angel sweetly on the lips. "I love you," he whispered.

Pit closed his already half-lidded eyes and wrapped his arms tightly around Link, nuzzling against his face. "I love you too Link. I love you more than life itself." He breathed in his lover's scent as he basked in the heat of their bodies so close together. Climax took him away from the world, to a place where only he and his lover existed. Link was his anchor, the constant, the only thing he needed to hold onto.

The two remained silent in each other's arms for a while, simply enjoying the other's warmth. Eventually, Link sighed and rose to his knees. "As much as I'd like staying here and holding you, we really need to set off," he said as he watched Pit slowly sitting up and fluffing up his feathers. He quickly ran through their journey so far in his head, working out where they were and where they needed to reach. "We'll be in the mountains soon and should hit Kakariko by nightfall."

"I'm so glad you chose to bring me to Hyrule on our vacation," Pit said as he pulled his black shorts on. "It truly is a wonderful place."

Link pulled on his tunic and underwear. He smiled at Pit who was now pulling on one of his sandals. "Hyrule is a great place, but a few days ago, it became the best place in existence."

"Oh really?" Pit asked, looking up. "How's that?"

Crawling over, Link gave his boyfriend a gentle kiss on the cheek. "Because you entered its realm," he whispered.

Pit blushed brightly red. He loved when Link talked so sweetly. Taking Link's face in his hands, he leaned forward and gave his boyfriend a sweet kiss on the lips. He then chuckled as he pulled up and clasped his chiton.

Link continued to get dressed as well before crawling out of the tent with Pit behind him. "Ah…" Link sighed as he stood, taking a deep breath. "What a wonderful scent in the air."

Pit too took a deep breath and smiled. "What is that?" he asked, looking at Link.

"There's a small pine forest at the foot of the mountains," Link said, smiling back at his lover. "We should reach them around noon." He then walked over to Epona and greeted her.

Opening his wings, Pit flapped a few times before he was airborne. Flying a little above the treetops, he saw tall trees in the distance with looming mountains behind them. It felt good to stretch his wings, especially after a session of passionate lovemaking, so he performed a few loops and rolls before landing.

Staring from the ground, Link stood in awe at the angel's aerobatics. He watched Pit's every move, every turn and twist. Eventually, he followed Pit to the ground as the angel made a graceful landing. "I'm forever amazed how beautiful you look while flying," he said with a broad grin.

Pit skipped over to Link, his wings still gently flapping behind him, and hugged him tightly. "And I'm always amazed at your grace on a horse, or knowledge of the woods," he said, kissing Link's cheek.

The two then packed the tent and affixed it behind's Epona's saddle. Then, with a little help from Link, Pit climbed into the saddle, soon to be joined by Link behind him. Being such a large and strong horse, Epona had no difficulty with the added burden of the lightweight angel. She had bonded with Pit the first time she had met him, unusual for her as she did not trust easily, and Link surmised she knew in her own way that the angel was Link's nearest and dearest. With a gentle nudge from Link, Epona set out toward the forest.

…..

It was around noon that they came to a stop beside a gentle flowing stream. The trees around them were tall pines, some easily over a hundred feet tall. Initially, Pit had been a little tense, not liking the enclosed feeling, but Link's reassurance was all it took for him to relax and enjoy the wonders of the forest.

Pit gracefully dismounted and looked around. "I never thought a forest could be so beautiful," he said, turning in circles, but still slightly wary of the looming branches above.

"I have always liked pine forests," Link said as he too dismounted. He then led Epona to the stream for some water and retrieved their lunch from one of the saddlebags.

The two ate, exchanging small talk and simply enjoying each other. Link showed Pit about how pine needles could be woven into things and how pine sap was one of the stickiest things around. He was enjoying satisfying the angel's never-ending curiosity but sadly realized that they would have to continue their trek west if they were to reach Kakariko by nightfall. Reluctantly, they got onto Epona and headed off.

It was about an hour later that Pit spied a movement in the undergrowth off to the side of the path. "Link," he whispered, pointing. "What's that?"

Link cautiously reined in Epona. "Probably an animal…" Just then, a large, gray tabby walked across the path in front of them. "… a cat!" He finished in surprise.

"A cat? In the forest?" Pit asked, looking over his shoulder. He then giggled as he noticed Link's confused look.

"Yeah," Link replied. "That's exactly what I'm wondering. What is a cat doing in the forest…" He then looked up and saw two more cats in a nearby tree, watching him. "This is strange. I've never known cats to stray from the villages."

Still giggling, Pit leaned down and patted Epona's neck. "He hasn't got a clue, has he?" He whispered, getting a playful neigh from the horse.

It was just a few minutes later that Link spied something off the path that looked like an old hut. "Strange, I don't remember that house being there the last time I was here," he said, pulling Epona to a stop. He then saw a few more cats in the trees and the plants around the road. "This is weird."

"What's so weird about it?" Pit asked, looking over his shoulder. Link's lingering confusion was starting to unnerve him.

Link was about to answer when he saw a beautiful woman with long, blond hair walk out the door of the hut. She looked at him and smiled, beckoning him. For some reason, he felt drawn to her, like he really needed to talk with her…needed to be with her. Without warning, he hopped off of Epona and started walking trance-like up the small path toward the hut.

"Link?" Pit said, surprised that Link was going to see the woman without explanation. "Who's she?"

Not answering and keeping his eyes trained upon her beauty, Link kept walking toward the woman. Pit hopped down from Epona's back and hurried after him. "Link?" He was nervous now. Link had been right; something wasn't right about the situation.

By now, Link was within a few feet of the woman. She was smiling at him warmly and then, when she saw Pit running up, her smile grew. Without warning, she threw her hands forwards and beams of light burst out from her palms. Both Link and Pit were instantly enveloped in a nimbus of swirling colors. The clouds around Pit, however, seemed not to take hold; they shimmered and quickly vanished, leaving him momentarily disorientated.

Pit stumbled, holding his head for a moment before his vision steadied. He looked at Link and saw that he seemed to be frozen, a look of fear on his face behind a translucent shell of multi-coloured clouds. "Let him go!" Pit ordered as he quickly drew his swords and advanced on the woman.

The mystery woman stared at him in shock and surprised. "You…you escaped!" she exclaimed in a scratchy voice. "How did you…"

"Let him go!" Pit yelled, quickly fastening the pommels of his swords to form his blessed bow and drawing an arrow of light.

"Impossible! How did you…" the woman began but was hit in the chest with the arrow. She reeled back, breaking the beam of light, and stumbled. The look on her face was amazement and confusion; she was clearly stunned that her spell hadn't affected the angel.

Pit glanced over and saw that Link was still surrounded by the nimbus of shimmering clouds, his face still frozen in fear. "Let him go!" He yelled at her.

An evil grin appeared on the woman's face. "It's too late!" she exclaimed, starting to laugh. "The spell has already started."

"Spell? What spell?" Pit asked as he drew another arrow, glancing at Link.

"He's going to slowly transform and if the spell is not broken by the next full moon, he will stay like that forever." She cackled.

The woman's appearance shimmered, and Pit recognised it as an illusion. Choosing not to see the blonde, the illusion collapsed and he saw that she was, instead, a knarly old hag. He glanced at Link and then back to the hag. "Free him now or die!" he yelled, taking aim.

The woman continued to laugh. "He's as good as mine…another kitty for my collection." She raised her hands toward Link, as though to cast another spell.

"He's mine, you won't have him!" Pit yelled as he fired another powerful bolt at the woman, hitting her square in the chest.

The hag's eyes grew. "No!" she shrieked as the light in her chest started to grow. "NO!" The light quickly spread from her chest to her arms and legs. Her face held an expression of fear and shock, as though she had never known defeat before. The light now consumed her and in a final flash, she vanished.

Pit immediately looked to Link, who had fallen to the ground, the clouds now gone. He rushed to Link's side, then became aware that there were now dozens of people around them, all looking around in surprise. "What's going on?" he demanded of nobody in particular. He then quickly knelt by Link, who moaned and rolled over onto his back.

Link rubbed his forehead and sat up. He scrunched up his eyes and clutched at his head, as though victim of a headache. "What happened?" he groaned, looking around. He then cracked open his eyes and saw Pit, who had a shocked look upon his face. "What?" he asked, confused. "Is it my hair?" He asked playfully.

Staring blankly at his lover, Pit slowly raised an arm are reached out. His fingers made contact with something on Link's head that made him shudder. "Link…you have…ears!" he softly exclaimed.

Link chuckled and looked around. "Of course I have ears. Where did all of these people come from?"

By now the people had began to recognizing each other and group around. One of them, an elderly man, approached. "You freed us," he said to Pit.

Pit ignored him, still staring at Link. "No…I mean…you have CAT ears!" he said.

Link's eyes grew. His hands shot to his head where he felt large, triangular ears, clearly shaped like a cat's. He then looked at the elderly man. "What do you mean, he freed you?"

The elderly man smiled as he looked down at Pit. "This winged boy destroyed the evil witch that had been luring us away from our home village. She had been turning us all into cats. When she was killed, her curse was broken."

"Then why do I have cat ears?" Link asked, slowly getting to his feet. His head then shot to Pit who had gasped loudly. Looking down answered his question…he had a tail. He also noticed that he was a full head shorter than Pit.

The elderly man stared at Link as well. "I don't know why the spell on you wasn't broken. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that you were still being transformed when she was killed."

Pit slowly stood and walked around his lover, his face flitting between surprise and shock. "Link…you're half Hylian, half cat!"


	2. Chapter 2

Hey all, sorry we've been gone so long! We've both been pretty busy with general life and other stuff, but hopefully the time we've been able to allot to NL has been worth it!  
Thanks for the reviews to the last chapter, so without further ado, let's get on with the next one. Enjoy!

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Nine Lives  
Chapter 2

"I don't believe it," Link said, looking up at Pit with a look of shock on his face. "I'm a cat!"

Pit silently stared at him, unable to speak any more. Before him was his best friend and lover, the tall warrior who touched his heart and soul like no other, was now transformed into something he'd never seen before.

"I don't… I just…!" Link stuttered, sitting down on the leaf-strewn ground outside the witch's house. Still slightly stunned, he reached up and felt his features.

Continuing to stare, Pit watched as Link ran his fingers over his larger, triangular ears. They were the same color as his sandy-blond hair, but with pinkish interiors. At the tip of each one was a small, dark tuft of hair.

Link turned and looked at the stunned angel. "Pit…" he whispered. "What's happened to me? Am I going to turn into a full cat?"

Pit blinked his eyes and slowly shook his head. "I don't know," he managed to say.

The old man, who had approached them earlier, put his hand on Link's shoulder. "I saw that witch transform a lot of my townspeople into cats," he said with a grim look on his face. "The full transformation would be well on its way by now." He then looked at Pit and smiled slightly. "Your feathered friend here stopped the spell just as it was starting so you might have escaped."

Link looked slightly relieved at the news, as did Pit. He then slowly got to his feet, nearly tripping over his tail. "Woah!" he exclaimed, looking down.

"That was one of the hardest things to remember," the old man said. "In time, we all got used to it being there."

Pit slowly walked up to his lover and looked down at him. "Oh Link…" he said, trying to put on a brave face. "We'll find someone to turn you back."

The old man slowly shook his head. "I'm afraid that the only person powerful enough to do that was destroyed by your hand."

"I had no choice," Pit said resiliently, turning to look at the man. "I had to… She wouldn't stop." Then something the witch said returned to him and he turned to look back at Link. "We have until the next full moon to fix this," he said looking into Link's blue eyes.

Link managed a smile. "That's a little over three weeks," he said. "We're about a day's ride from Kakariko…" His eyes then widened as he remembered something. "Kakariko! The Spirit's Spring!"

"The Spirit's Spring?" Pit softly asked, a confused look on his face.

"Yeah! It's enchanted and will heal anyone who bathes within its waters!" Link said with an excited voice, a smile growing on his face.

Pit smiled too. "That's great! Once we get this spell removed, we can continue our vacation."

"We can't thank you enough," the old man said to Pit, getting his attention. "Please, let us escort you to our village where we will prepare a feast in your honor."

Pit looked at the older man for a few seconds. "You don't need to thank me," he replied, forcing a smile. "I'm more concerned with turning my friend back to normal." He motioned to Link who was holding his long tail in his hand, discovering how he could make it move.

Link dropped his tail and looked at Pit. "We need to get to Kakariko."

"Yeah, I agree," Pit replied. He then turned to the old man. "Thank you for the offer, but we really must be on our way."

"I understand," the man nodded. "I hope the spring can break the spell."

Saying their goodbyes, Link and Pit walked toward Epona. "If we ride through the mountains tomorrow morning, we can reach the village before noon." Link said with a relieved look still on his face. He approached his faithful horse and took the reins in his hands. "Hello there girl," he said, patting Epona's neck.

The horse looked at him with some interest, nudging him with her nose and whinnying softly.

"I know," Link laughed. "I look a little different, but we'll take care of it tomorrow." He then tried to pull himself into the saddle, finding it much more difficult now that he was shorter.

Pit immediately saw the problem. For the past few months, since he and Link had become closer, he had always ridden the massive horse sitting in front of Link. Now, because he was taller, he would have to ride behind his lover. "Um Link…" he chuckled as he helped Link into the saddle. "I think I need to get behind you."

"Behind me?" Link asked, looking down at the angel. "But…" he started before it dawned on him. "Oh…"

With the help of his wings, Pit gracefully launched himself into the saddle behind Link. He immediately wrapped his arms around him and hugged tightly. "So this is what its like," he giggled.

Link chuckled lightly. "And this is what this is like." He grabbed Pit's arms and nuzzled them affectionately.

After a while of just holding each other, they took off, continuing their trek east toward Kakariko.

…..

"Hey…are you feeling alright?" Pit asked as he sat down on the bedroll to remove his sandals. They had just eaten dinner and had just made their way into the tent.

"Huh? Oh, I'm fine my love," Link softly said as he watched Pit undo the clasp on his chiton. The angel was being warmly illuminated by the remains of the fire outside and the colors of the approaching sunset.

Pit continued to shimmy out of his clothes until he was only wearing his tight, black shorts. He crawled toward Link with a whimsical smile on his face. "Come on…something's bothering you."

Link gave a wan smile. "I'm fine," he said as he reached out and ran his fingers along one of Pit's wings. He then reached down and started to remove his boots.

Still smiling, Pit reached out and helped Link disrobe. "Well, as long as you're fine…" he whispered as he reached down to pull Link's underwear down. Suddenly, to his surprise, Link's hand appeared as if to stop him. "Link?" he started quizzically.

"I'm sorry, my love," Link softly said, removing his hand. "I just…today has been such an ordeal and now I'm like this..." He punctuated his remarks by motioning toward his head. "I'm just all…"

Pit giggled slightly. "Oh Link," he said, giving his lover a sweet peck on the nose. "I know it's been stressful, but tomorrow we'll get to the spring and break this stupid spell." He reached down again, this time successfully pulling Link's underwear down and off his body.

Link smiled warmly at Pit. "Yeah…after tomorrow, everything will be okay," he said as he reached around Pit and carefully pulled his wings together and flat across his back. He then lowered his angel onto his back and stared down at him. "You're so beautiful," he whispered.

Looking up at Link, Pit couldn't help but notice one of Link's new ears twitching nervously. "You're not that bad looking yourself."

With a laugh, Link lowered Pit's final garment down his slender legs and off his feet. "Oh Pit," he whispered, awed as usual at the sight before him. If there ever were a description of perfection, it would be the angel in his purest form. He leaned down and was instantly wrapped in Pit's arms, hugging him tightly. Lips met lips and soon parted as tongues began to passionately wrestle. He felt Pit's hand wander down between them and gently encircle his member. Then, he realized something. He wasn't getting hard.

Gently playing with Link's member, Pit also realized something was amiss. "Link?" Pit whispered. "Is something wrong?"

Link backed his head away. "I…don't know," he stammered, his cheeks burning as red as the sky outside. "I've never had a problem like this before. Normally I'm ready before you finish getting undressed, but now…"

"Oh Link…" Pit whispered. "It's probably because you're so stressed out and tired." He wrapped both his arms back around his lover and pulled him close, momentarily surprised at the ease of the action. Then he remembered that Link was shorter and slighter than normal. "Don't worry about it. We can just cuddle tonight and pick up tomorrow night when you're yourself again."

Link responded by kissing Pit deeply. After a while, he pulled back his head and stared into Pit's deep blue eyes. "I'm not going to fall asleep knowing the love of my life hasn't been pleasured." He began kissing down Pit's neck and to his chest. There he met Pit's ultra-sensitive nipples and began to lightly flick his tongue and gently nip.

Pit clenched his eyes shut and arched his back, offering more of his chest to his lover. "Link!" he gasped. "You don't have…" he started.

"But I want to," Link smiled, shifting to the other sensitive bud. He reached down and found Pit's member at full attention, making him chuckle slightly. "In fact…" he started as he began kissing and licking his way down. "I want to pleasure you more than anything." At that, he stuck out his tongue and began to gently lick around the tip of Pit's hardness.

"Oh Link!" Pit gasped as he felt his lover's lips and tongue do their magic.

Link took his time, knowing full well how to drive his angel crazy. Before long, he had Pit squirming beneath him, moaning loudly.

"Link…" Pit panted as the intense sensations continued to grow. "Oh gods you feel so good!" His fingers were weaving through Link's hair, occasionally brushing up against Link's new ears.

Link let out a soft moan as he felt Pit's delicate fingers scratching behind his ears. He didn't even know he did it, just that something had felt extremely wonderful. Picking up his tempo brought more whimpers and moans from his angel. Suddenly, a jolt of pleasure shot through his spine and to his groin as one of Pit's ankles wrapped around his waist and pressed tightly against the base of his tail, slowly rubbing down to his thigh. It was a familiar sensation, similar to when Pit attacked his most sensitive areas, but much more intense than usual.

Just as Link started thinking about these strange feelings, Pit grabbed his head and made a final thrust upward before releasing into his waiting mouth, moaning loudly. This brought him to his senses. He continued to pleasure his lover until the spasms diminished. Slowly, he came off of Pit and looked up, smiling. The angel was limp, breathing heavy, and enjoying a blissful afterglow.

"Link…"Pit managed to say between gasps. "That was wonderful."

Chuckling to himself, Link made his way up and wrapped his arms around the angel, once again reminded of his diminished size as Pit was harder to roll onto his side. "I'm glad you enjoyed that," Link whispered, kissing Pit's cheek as he cuddled from behind, feeling his soft feathers caressing his chest.

"I loved it…I love you," Pit whispered. He then rolled over so he was facing Link. Smiling, he brought up his hand and gently rubbed Link's cheek. He then raised his higher and lovingly caressed his new ears.

Link found himself moaning slightly as Pit's fingers danced and rubbed around Link's ears. "That…feels good," he softly said, closing his eyes.

"I think they're cute," Pit giggled slightly, making Link blush. "I also love this." He reached down and took Link's tail in his hand, running his hand along it to the base where he raked his fingernails across its base.

Link's eyes shot open and he gasped loudly. "Pit!" he exclaimed, his body instantly stiffening.

Pit's hand trailed to Link's backside where he rested his hand against a cheek. "What?" he asked, concerned and the outburst.

"Wow… When you touched me there, it was like nothing I had felt before," Link said, looking into Pit's blue eyes.

"I didn't hurt you did I?" asked Pit, now even more concerned.

Link blinked a few times. "No, it felt good... really good, in fact."

"You mean this?" Pit asked as he brought his hand back to the base of Link's tail and again lightly raked his fingernails against the furry base.

Link's eyes grew and he gasped loudly. "Gods!" he exclaimed, pressing his body against Pit's and arching his back. It was then that they both felt Link's extremely hard erection sandwiched between their bodies.

Pit looked down, his eyes also wide. "Looks like you're in the mood after all!" He chuckled, reaching reached down and taking Link's hardness into his hand. "Does this mean you want to?"

"Oh yes…" Link breathed as he rolled Pit onto his back. "I want you more than anything." He reached down and grabbed Pit's legs, slowly pressing his knees to his chest.

Pit sighed, loving Link's usual tenderness as he was prepared for lovemaking. Glancing down through half-opened eyes, he took in his lover moving into position. He reached out and gently ran his fingers across his lover's chest. "I love you so much Link." Sighing loudly, he felt Link slowly sliding into him. He couldn't help but to notice the difference in Link's size, but he chose not to mention it.

Link started thrusting, getting to a steady rhythm. "Pit…" he softly said. "You feel amazing." His eyes then popped open as he felt Pit's fingers playing with his new ears. "Oh wow…"

"You like that, huh?" Pit giggled, scratching more in earnest.

Link could only nod as he started thrusting faster, quickly getting lost in the sensations. The feelings stirring in him were not only physical, but emotional. Looking down at Pit, who was also experiencing intense pleasure by his motions, he began to feel unusual pangs of longing.

Just then, he felt the same jolt of electricity shooting down his spine as he did earlier. He quickly realized that Pit had reached down and was now scratching the base of his tail. For some reason, this was causing him to not only arch his back and thrust harder, but he found himself moaning louder than ever, totally getting overwhelmed by the sensations.

Pit watched in amazement as Link writhed in pleasure as he made love to him. Never before had his lover been so active and vocal. He continued to rake his fingers across the base of Link's tail, loving how it generated such a reaction. Suddenly, Link loudly cried out, thrusting hard one last time. He could feel his lover spasm within him, feeling his heat.

Panting, Link looked down, blinking his eyes. "Gods…" he whispered as he collapsed onto Pit and hugging him tightly. "That was amazing."

Pit hugged him back in return, feeling his lover trembling in his arms. "You're amazing, my love," Pit said softly in return as he gently stroked Link's back, purposely avoiding his backside and tail.

Eventually Link's heavy breathing and trembling subsided. He raised his head and looked down at Pit. "In all my life, I have never experienced sex like that," he whispered, astonished.

"Well," Pit started dismissively. "You were with the man of your dreams, after all." His mouth slowly turned into a grin and then he began to laugh.

Link chuckled as well. "Yeah, you _are_ the man of my dreams," he whispered, gently kissing Pit's lips. "You know, maybe being a cat isn't that bad after all." His thoughts went back to the longing he had momentarily earlier when he was making love to Pit. He thought about what it would be like to be held as he had held Pit… to be stroked and played with like that…

Pit rolled the two of them onto their sides and before he could get into his normal position of nuzzling against his lover's chest, Link quickly assumed the position on him. He smiled and pulled Link close, nuzzling his face into his hair.

"Your breath tickles. These things are very sensitive," Link giggled as he slightly moved his head, protecting his ears from Pit's breathing.

Chuckling, Pit repositioned himself as well and sighed. He found that he loved holding Link like this and in a small way would miss it after tomorrow. "Well, you'll soon be back to normal," he said. "Then we'll be able to continue our…" He broke off as he realized that Link was asleep. "You make a very cute cat," he whispered. Nuzzling closer to Link, he closed his eyes and slowly fell asleep, feeling Link's hands making small kneading motions against his back.


	3. Chapter 3

Sorry we've been gone so long, guys and girls! Real Life is quite a pain when it comes to finding time to write, but Day and I have really worked hard on this chapter. Thank you all so much for the reviews for the last chapter! I know you've all been waiting for it, so enjoy!

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Chapter 3

"There it is!" Exclaimed Link from his perch upon Epona. Behind him, Pit simply nodded as he reined in the majestic horse to a stop not far from the edge of the village. They had been riding all morning in relative silence, each deep in their own thoughts. Just before noon, shortly after cresting a small rise near the entrance of the Kakariko Village, they had come upon the large rocky grotto around the Eldin Spring.

Link didn't waste any time jumping from the horse and rushing toward the springs. Struggling to effectively walk in his now too-large boots, Link ended up kicking them off, unable to hold in his anticipation. It barely occurred to him that there might be people around as he leant on a nearby boulder, where he removed the rest of his oversized clothes.

Pit gracefully dismounted Epona and tied her to a tree that was surrounded by some tall grass. She gave a calm whinny and eyed the grass beneath her. Pit smiled and patted her neck as she lowered her head, hungry from the long, brisk ride. Turning, he noticed Link standing motionless mere feet from the water, a stunned look on his face. He gave his lover an odd look, expecting him to already be swimming merrily in the crystal blue expanse. "Link? You alright?" He asked as he started walking toward him.

Link was staring at the glassy surface of the water. An odd feeling had overcome him, holding him back, and he couldn't pin down what it was. He'd swum a lot during his adventure, and he used to love the feel of the cool water around him. Now, the very thought sent shivers through his body.

"I…um…" Link stammered, turning toward Pit and managing a wan smile. "Nothing, I'm fine." Then, turning back to the pool and taking a deep breath, he took a determined step forwards, finding he had to push himself to even get near the blessed pool. Finally, he was right at the edge; trying to act normally, he dipped his toe into the pool. When he felt the warm water touch his bare foot, he quickly jumped back in shock, suppressing a cry of surprise. He then looked down at his wet foot, trying to figure out why he had reacted that way.

"Are you sure?" Pit asked, concerned.

"Yeah…I'm okay," Link said, staring ahead and trying to hold in this new uncertainty. Steeling himself, he slowly and deliberately walked into the water.

Pit sighed in relief as he watched Link slowly make his way into deeper water. Finding a seat in the form of a large, flat rock overhanging the pool, he removed his sandals and dipped his feet into the water. He hoped and prayed that the powers of the springs would break the spell and restore his lover to his former self.

Eventually, Link was waist deep in the springs. The odd hatred of the water was slowly diminishing and replaced with a sense of renewed vigor. He felt his confidence returning, and glanced behind himself at the tail extending from his back. Unused to it, he had allowed it to sink into the water, the fur coating it soaking wet. Flicking it into his hand, he ran his fingers through it, his determination to be rid of it rising. His breathing becoming firm, he discarded the tail and touched the hideous ears on his head. Taking a deep breath, he submerged himself completely in the crystal blue hope the water was to him.

For a moment, Link remembered swimming in the beautiful expanse of water at Lake Hylia, and the wonderful, relaxing feeling of swimming returned to him. A moment later he felt invigorated, suddenly very much awake, and he opened his eyes under the pure water. With a smile, he realized his slightly saddle-sore body felt alive and refreshed. He pushed forwards as he began to swim through the water. Eventually, he surfaced, feeling totally revitalized. He looked at Pit across the pool, playfully kicking his feet in the water. "I feel great!" he called, a smile on his face.

Pit laughed and waved. "I know what you mean!" he called back. "I feel pretty good myself." He then kicked hard, trying to reach Link with a playful spray of water, but was too far away. "How long will you have to be in the water before the spell is broken?"

Link's smile faded slightly. He quickly reached up and felt his head, touching the two large cat-like ears still there. "Um…maybe a bit longer," he called back, turning and diving back under the water. He swam under the surface, feeling his tail dragging behind him

From his perch, Pit watched as Link swam the length of the waters a few times, becoming more and more uneasy with each lap the Hylian made. He stopped playing with the water and focused his attention on Link, watching ever closer for any sign of change. Eventually he saw his lover swimming toward him.

Link broke the surface and walked until he was waist deep and standing before the angel. "I…don't get it," he said worriedly, nervously holding his tail. "I feel a lot better, but…no change."

Pit got to his feet and picked up his sandals. "Maybe you can try again after some lunch," he said, fluttering from the rock onto the sand. "You must be hungry, here, we can…"

"No!" Link exclaimed, turning his back to Pit and walking toward the deeper waters. He quickly calmed himself with a sigh. "I just need more time." He then leant forward, submerged again beneath the surface.

Pit watched, concerned, from the shore. He tossed his sandals next to Link's clothing and walked to Epona who was munching on some funny looking, wing shaped weeds. "Hey there," he whispered, patting the horse on the neck. Reaching into a saddle bag, he removed a small bag of food and began walking back to the edge of the water.

Link surfaced again, immediately reaching up and running his fingers across the ears still there. "No…" he muttered. "This has got to work." He then dove beneath the water again. He swam the entire length of the pool and even dove to the deepest part near the cave he had explored years before. Still, every time he surfaced, he felt his head and swore, diving again.

"Link!" Pit called loudly after some time of watching Link surface and dive. "Link, come here!"

Hearing Pit's call, Link reluctantly swam toward the shore and walked out. He had a worried look on his face as he sat down on the sand at the water's edge. "It's not working," he whispered, breathing hard from his almost non-stop swimming. He looked at Pit and sniffed. "I don't want to be like this forever," he whimpered as he grabbed his tail again.

"I know…" Pit said, regarding the Hylian with concern in his eyes. "You need to eat something. Maybe if you rest for a while you can try again," he offered.

Link simply nodded as he took a bite of the provisions they had packed. Now out of the waters he felt as if his energy and his spirits were dropping. After he had taken his last bite, he stood and started walking back toward the water.

"Wait, you should rest before you go back in," Pit said. But his words fell on deaf ears as Link continued walking out, eventually diving beneath the surface again. Pit sighed as he stood. He then moved back to the flat rock he had been sitting on earlier. Laying on his stomach and relaxing his wings, he watched Link continue to surface, walk around and then dive again. Despite his concern for his lover, he found the spring to be a very relaxing place, and found himself closing his eyes.

Pit was roused from a light sleep by Link's frustrated cries. He bolted upright and saw Link standing waist deep in the water, frantically grabbing and tugging hard at his ears.

"Come off, damn you!" Link cried, his breaths hard and short. His entire body was shaking with desperation. "Come off!" He reached around and grabbed his tail, yanking hard. Ignoring the pain, he let go and grabbed his ears again and pulled. "Come off!" he yelled as he pulled so hard that one of his ears tore, causing a trickle of blood to run down the side of his face. He cried out loudly in both pain and fear.

"Link!" Pit exclaimed, leaping to his feet. He then jumped off of the rock into the air and shot toward Link. He landed in the water and grabbed his arms. "Link!" he yelled, trying to break through his lover's loud sobs and cries of anguish. "Link, let go of your ears!"

Turning, Link laid eyes on the angel and let go of his ears. "It's not working…it's never going to work!" Link sobbed. He looked down at the water and hit the surface hard with a fist, swearing loudly. "I'm stuck like this forever!" he cried, feeling himself being pulled into a tight and somewhat comforting hug. He buried his face in Pit's shoulder and cried.

Pit held Link tightly, feeling him trembling with rage and exhaustion as he sobbed. "We'll just have to find another way," he whispered.

"There is no other way," Link stammered. "I'm stuck…! I'm stuck as a half cat!"

"Ho there," a soft voice called from the shore. Pit turned to see a tall, dark skinned man with long black hair waving from the shore. "Are you two alright?" he called, clearly concerned. "I heard a lot of shouting."

Link drew a breath, still holding himself against Pit as his feline ears twitched, recognizing the voice. "R… R-Renado?" He stuttered. "Oh no… No, I don't want him to see me like this!" He clutched against Pit even tighter.

"You know him?" Pit whispered to Link.

"He's… he rescued the Ordon children… he's a shaman…" Link sniffled.

"A shaman?" Pit whispered. He quickly remembered Link's ear. "Link… maybe he can help heal your ear…"

"No… he can't see me like this… I don't want anyone to-"

"Link," Pit's voice was still gentle and comforting, but was taking on a firm edge. "Link, you hurt yourself. We need to get your ear seen to before it gets worse. He's your friend, right?" His lover nodded. "Please Link, let him help you."

Link sniffled a few more times, aware of the blood drying against his cheek. "O-Okay Pit…" he whispered. He loosened his grip on his angel, turning slowly towards his old friend.

The man slowly backed up as the pair walked out of the water. Not only was the sight of a naked young Hylian with cat ears and a tail discerning, but there was also this young man that had wings sprouting from his back. "Link? By the Goddesses, is that you?" He asked in an astonished tone.

Link simply nodded, wiping his eyes.

"He was cursed," Pit said quietly, pulling his head from under Link's arm. "We came to these springs in hopes that they would remove it."

Renado slowly shock his head. "These springs will help only with the physical being," he said. "Such abilities to break curses are beyond the Great Spirit's power…"

Pit looked at Link whose head was hung as he sniffled. He grimaced at the thin trail of drying blood down his cheek. "Link is a little hurt. Can you help him?"

Renardo returned a concerned look. "Would the Spring not be appropriate?"

Pit had already considered getting Link to dunk his head under the water, but didn't want his fragile lover to do that. "No… I think it's better for him if he were to get out of the water…" He replied quietly.

Renardo nodded in understanding, turning to the house behind him. "Please," he indicated the door. "My home is open to you."

"Thank you, that 's very nice of you," Pit said. He then retrieved his sandals and Link's clothes from the water's edge. Renardo opened the door to his home and the group entered the spacious house.

"If I may, what manner of creature are you that have wings?" Renado asked as he closed the door to prying eyes. He watched Pit set Link's clothes on the floor and averted his eyes, allowing the pair some privacy as Pit helped Link dress himself.

"My name is Pit…I'm an angel," Pit replied, helping Link guide a leg into one of his boots. "Link and I have traveled from afar to Hyrule for a vacation."

"Some vacation," sniffed Link, still looking disheveled.

Renardo sensed Pit stand and turned to see Link clothed. "Here, sit down," he offered, gesturing to a wide bench seat set against the wall of the round, single-roomed house.

Pit guided the shaking Link to sit beside him on the bench, very gently turning the now-smaller man's head to examine the ear. He could understand Link's desperation, but for Link to hurt himself… He almost shuddered as he moved the slightly stained blonde hair out of the way. Renardo quickly offered him a damp cloth, and Pit softly cleaned up the small amount of blood.

A few moments later, Pit could see the source of the bleeding, but was quite surprised when he could not find a wound. The ear appeared to be whole. "It's fine, Link," he whispered to his lover. "It looks like it's healed."

Much to the angel's surprise, Link's breath suddenly caught. He drew a rattling breath and Pit instantly shot before Link's face, looking his lover in the eyes. Tears were pooling in them. "It… it healed?" Link barely whispered.

Pit slowly nodded, suddenly aware what it meant.

Tears began rolling down Link's cheeks once more. "Th-then that means… That means I really am…" His words broke into sobs. "I'm stuck like this forever!" He cried, and Pit instantly embraced him as he felt Link break down in his arms.

"Father?" Called a voice from the floor; had Pit turned he would have seen a teenage girl with long black hair rise from the entrance to the cellar. Instead he was focused solely on his lover, feeling the pain of Link's realization himself, and trying his best to comfort his mate.

"Father, who is here…" the girl said as she stood up, trailing off as she saw Pit and Link embracing on the bench, tears and sobs breaking the Hylian's form. "Link!"

Renardo took his daughter's hand. "Luda… I believe we must allow them time and space."

Hearing the Hylian's sobs and the soothing words whispered by the winged man, Luda couldn't help but worry. "Father, what is happening to him? Is that his…"

"No," her father whispered softly to her. "Link is quite alright. The other's name is Pit. He is an angel, and I believe he is someone quite special to Link," he said with a smile, turning back to face the pair. His face fell slowly and he sighed. "I hope he is what Link truly needs right now."

For a long time, Link cried. Pit tried everything he could to support the fragile Hylian, and finally his sobs quietened. As Pit pulled back from their tight embrace to whisper more comforting words to his lover, he saw that Link had fallen asleep. The stress of the day and his long swim seemed to have completely drained him. Pit was uneasy about this, knowing Link could wake up worse than before, but he saw movement from the corner of his eye. He saw Renardo approach him, looking over the sleeping man beside him.

Renardo's eyes were soft and concerned, and Pit could tell he was worried for Link's wellbeing. Wondering if he knew anything that could help, and not wanting to risk waking Link with talk, he so carefully leant his lover back onto the bench. Outside, the afternoon was making way for evening, the sky darkening but remaining a beautiful red. Renardo passed Pit a blanket and the angel draped it tenderly across Link. Sensing nothing but trust from the shaman, Pit placed a tiny kiss on Link's cheek before standing and walking across the house, where they might better discuss Link.

"How is he?" Renardo asked.

Pit looked over at his lover. His only response was a near-silent sigh. Renardo placed a hand on his shoulder in support.

"Would you tell me about what happened?" The shaman whispered.

Pit slowly related the story of the encounter with the witch to him, sighing when he told of how he had been forced to kill her. The shaman's face also fell.

"Do you know of anything that could help him?" Pit asked hopefully after a few moments of silence.

"The nature of magic is beyond me," Renardo whispered. "It pains me to say that you are very much correct; by destroying the one who did this to him…" He allowed the thought to disappear into the air.

Pit nodded slowly, understanding what the shaman had left unsaid. "Is there nothing we can do?"

"Your only hope lies with another so gifted in great abilities, though I know of no others in Hyrule. Rumours exist that Her Royal Highness possesses such abilities, though she left the lands to visit others some time ago and has yet to return."

Pit perked up at the thought. "You mean Princess Zelda?" Renardo nodded. "She was enrolled in the Smash Tournament with Link and myself… We're staying in the same mansion. Do you think she might be able to help?"

Renardo looked over Link. "Link is more than just a hero here in Hyrule, he is regarded by some to be a savior. It is said he has earned the friendship of Her Highness. Perhaps she would be willing to help him."

"Father…" Came a small voice from the back of the house. The pair turned to see Luda peeking in through the back door. "Father, I've made some food for us all. Would you like something to eat, Pit?" She asked the angel.

Pit hadn't even thought about his hunger while comforting his beloved. "Yes, please."

"Will Link want anything?" She asked, blushing slightly as she looked between the angel and the sleeping Hylian.

"Do you think we should wake him?" Renardo whispered.

"No," Pit sighed. "We're going to have to start our return to the Mansion tomorrow. He'll need his rest."

"Let him sleep, then. You are both welcome to spend the night with us," the shaman said kindly.

"I'll put some aside for him in case he wakes. Maybe you'd like to have breakfast with us tomorrow morning?" The young girl offered.

"That would be very nice of you," Pit replied, looking over Link again and sighing. "He's been through so much… It just doesn't end for him, does it?"

"It is known that Link was chosen by the Goddesses to face great trials," Renardo said kindly. "He has great strength, and great courage, and we owe him eternally for what he has gone through for us all."

"He's the bravest person in the land," Luda quickly said, before lowering her head, blushing.

Pit smiled slightly. Luda and her father turned to lay a small table with food and drink for them all, the teen making sure to set aside a plate for Link. However, not even the smell of wonderfully-prepared food was enough to rouse the Hylian from his deep slumber. Pit's eyes were always watching him, ready to spring to his side if he awoke, but eventually he sighed, breaking the silence at the table.

"We were really hoping that the springs would help remove the curse," he said as he took a drink.

"Unfortunately, your best chances laid with that witch," Renado gravely said. "There aren't many in Hyrule that would even be so learned of the ways of magic."

Pit sighed, lowering his head.

"You have beautiful wings," Luda said, trying to raise the mood a little.

Raising his head, Pit looked at her and gave a kind smile. "Thank you," he said, fluttering them lightly against his back. He then stood up. "Today has been a trying day. I think I will turn in as well. Thank you so much for your hospitality," he said, returning the smiles of Renardo and Luda before turning and walking toward where Link lay in a deep sleep. Kicking off his sandals he worked out how best to sleep, eventually deciding to lay himself down behind Link. He kissed his beloved's cheek and tenderly wrapped his arms around him, faintly aware that Link had been making some very quiet noises in his sleep and now, in Pit's arms, he slept silently.

He scarcely heard Renado and Luda's quiet conversations as he drifted in and out of sleep. He tightened his hold on the smaller body in his arms and thought about what Renado had said. The prospects didn't look good. They just had a few weeks to find a powerful sorcerer or sorceress… Princess Zelda commanded magic, Pit knew from his battles against her in the arena, but the use of those spells seemed to be the limit of her powers. He faintly recalled her telling her friends that her magic was restricted to the three divine magics she would use during a Brawl. Pit sighed, thinking about the Mansion. There had to be someone else… No, none of the Brawlers really used magic to the degree that might help Link. Zelda was a possibility, but they really needed a powerful sorcerer… Someone like…

Pit's eyes snapped open and he looked around the now darkened room. The shaman and his daughter had already turned in for the night. All was silent and still. He laid back down and hugged Link from behind. "I think I know… There might just be a way to break this spell," he whispered into Link's ear, making him stir slightly. He then kissed the back of his lover's neck and fell back asleep.

…..

"Wait," Link exclaimed as he pulled on a smaller boot. "We're going where?"

Pit leaned against the wall, looking down at Link who was now dressed in a plain, brown traveler's outfit and dark brown, leather pants. Sensitive to the light and waking first as always, Pit had asked Renado if he wouldn't mind getting Link some smaller clothes. Denying any money from the angel, Renado had departed while his daughter fixed breakfast, having returned before Luda had even finished with the eggs.

"It's the best option," Pit said. "I think that the only hope is to head back to the Smash Mansion where..."

"Soren can break the spell." Link completed, finishing the sentence as he flattened his ears. He looked down at his new boots and kicked at the dirt floor. "I don't know, Pit. I don't want to go there and have everyone see me like this."

"I've thought it through, Link. I really think it's our best option," Pit said pointedly. He had realized the night before that Soren, Ike's partner and a powerful sage, would have the best chance of reversing the spell, even over the Princess. "I know you don't want to go back, but I feel that Soren might be our only hope."

Staring at the floor, Link let out a deep sigh. "I…guess," he said.

"Link, we only have a little over three weeks. We're going to have to leave today," Pit said decidedly as he started walking toward the fire pit. "Come on, Luda has made a nice breakfast for us."

As the four ate breakfast, Renado caught Link up to date on the happenings in this region of Hyrule since he had last been through. Luda's attention kept switching from the beautiful angel to the cursed hero that sat with them. A few times she tried starting a conversation with Pit, but shyly bit her lower lip and blushed.

Pit and Link took their leave after breakfast and rode Epona down the streets of Kakariko Village; Luda had very kindly taken her to the stables at the inn the previous night, where she had been given food, water and a bed for the night. Per Renado's suggestion, Link pulled the hood of his traveling cloak over his head, hiding his prominent ears. Not wanting to attract any unwelcome attention to themselves as they traveled, Pit had also donned a cloak to hide his wings.

"Well Link," Pit said as they stopped by the springs. "Are you ready to head back home?"

Link leaned back against Pit. "I'm in your arms…I already am home," he softly said.

Pit sighed as he hugged Link from behind. "I love you, Link," he said. "I know this isn't going to be easy, but I have a really good feeling about this. Soren is very powerful. I know he can help."

Nodding slightly, Link sighed. "I know, I'm just not looking forward to facing everyone."

Just thinking of the look on a certain redheaded swordsman's face made the corners of Pit's mouth twitch. "Well, if anybody gives you any problems, they'll have me to deal with."

Link chuckled, feeling more upbeat as they traveled down the mountain pass towards the plains of Hyrule. "The guys are going to have a field day, aren't they?"

"And once you get transformed back into the handsome Hylian that I know and love, you can give them hell back…in the arena." Pit chuckled, picking up on Link's mood. "Trust me, before you know it, this whole thing will seem like just a bad dream."


	4. Chapter 4

Well, we're back! Couldn't keep you all waiting for long!  
This chapter is actually right in the spirit of the fic, as Day and I swapped our usual roles - I started this chapter, Day finished it! Ah, the weird parallels into real life... Anyway... oh, what's that? Yeah, you're right, there was no lemon last chapter... Hmm, maybe we can make it up to you?

* * *

Chapter 4

The pair had ridden for three days now, and it pained Pit to hear almost nothing from Link. The Hylian seemed to be lost in his own thoughts, answering his lover's questions distantly, and meeting their estimates to Castle Town with mixed responses. It was hurting Pit inside to see his beloved so torn, so as they rode, he silently urged Epona on, to get them to the Mansion as fast as she could.

As he awoke on the morning of the fourth day, again in their tent, Pit watched his lover for a few moments. Before the Spring, he'd tried to put a light-hearted spin on Link's predicament, trying to reassure him. Link had believed it would be the answer after all. But what actually happened scared Pit, to see his unbreakable lover suddenly disintegrate like that. He knew they had to find an answer, before it destroyed Link completely. And now, they were half a day's ride from Castle Town, and from there, returning to the Mansion would be as simple as stepping through a door. The angel slipped out of his bedroll and began to look for some clothes.

Link remained in slumber, his dreams slowly fading away. He would often dream of his lover and himself, but for the past few days, he'd watched old memories stir.

Link knew he would always carry the scars of his encounter with the Twilight, and especially with one particular Twili. Even as the years had passed, the memory of his first transformation into the sacred Blue-Eyed Beast haunted him. It had been so painful… his body morphing into something it was never meant to be.

Although it hurt to lose her, Link was silently thankful that, when Midna left and sealed the gateway between worlds forever, that she had taken with her that cursed crystal that could transform him. To change between forms remained unpleasant, and though running as a beast was a thrill, Link could live without it.

As he awoke, he thought about how he was now. This was so different; his feline features didn't hurt him. The partial transformation hadn't been painful, unlike the wolf. The pain was the key; it was his body's scream that it wasn't right, that this was never meant to happen. The ears… the tail… they felt completely _normal!_ Like… like this was _him_ now. It had scared him so much at the Spring, the thought that, how the pieces had fallen, seemed to say that this was forever. Trapped as a hideous half-Hylian, half-cat creature, genuinely scared out of his wits as to why this had happened. And Link had never been one to be scared. Not like this.

He heard the faint sounds of fabric moving, and with it he slowly focused on morning birdsong. It was time to wake up. He knew Pit was already awake. The angel was so sensitive to nature.

He had to smile as he opened his eyes. Pit had been there for him, through all of this. He had been the shoulder to cry upon when he feared all was lost... his smile gave him hope... his love gave him strength. Never before had he relied upon anyone so strongly. And now Pit had a plan, a very good plan, and they were drawing very close to realising it.

His eyes focused upon the angel standing up from his bedroll, scouring the inside of their shelter for some clothing. His beloved was modestly dressed, and his almost-bare body was so beautiful, so precious. Link's smile widened as he thought, maybe he should repay his love's compassion.

Pit easily felt eyes on him, turning to look at his beloved. Link propped his head up on his arm, his eyes wandering the angel's body for a second or so before their oceanic eyes met. Both smiled widely.

"Morning," Pit beamed, suppressing a giggle at the look in Link's eyes.

"Good morning, my love," Link whispered, his eyes bright and alive. It made Pit smile wider; he hadn't seen Link's eyes like this for days. He'd been slowly rousing from his broken state for the past few days, but this was a major improvement. Pit immediately dropped down beside the Hylian and leaned in to kiss him.

Link welcomed the kiss, running his other hand through the angel's hair and stroking it. It was a little bit more than an average lover's good-morning kiss, it was a kiss made to convey feelings.

The angel stroked his mate's ashen blonde hair, giving a quiet chuckle as their lips parted. "You seem better today," he whispered.

Link smiled. "Yeah… we're, what, half a day from the Castle?"

Pit nodded.

Link sighed, still smiling. "It's the best option. I'm just… so relieved you thought of it."

Pit shrugged his shoulders, deciding to hold off on dressing and lay on his bedroll beside his lover for a moment. Link grinned as they lay side by side, his arm tenderly caressing the angel's.

Pit sighed happily. "Soren can fix this, Link… I know he can."

Link had subconsciously picked up on Pit's certainty, finding he believed exactly as his lover did. "Yeah… I'll owe him forever!"

Pit chuckled. "Just don't start promising him any _special_ favours, will you?" He grinned, leaning in and kissing Link full on the lips.

Kissing back passionately, Link parted his lips to whisper, "Don't worry… Only my special someone gets _those_ kinds of favours…" His fingers began to skate across the angel's bare chest, caressing him lovingly. Pit began to shiver at his wonderful touch. "In fact… I was wondering if my beloved might want to call in one or two of those… so I can show him just how much he means to me… and how I will never stop loving him for helping me in my time of need…"

Pit sighed at Link's touch, inwardly overjoyed to see Link like this. An almost adolescent giggle formed in his throat as he thought of his lover acting like an aroused teenager once again. He wanted nothing less than to encourage this, to help Link back to his old self… And if that 'old self' was a sex-crazed, passionate lover, well, why not?

The angel raised his hand to his mate's arm and began walking his fingers along it to his shoulder, tracing the muscles. "Well…" he whispered seductively. "We've got time… as long as we want…"

Pit's touch was driving Link wild. He felt his body begin to react, feeling the heat build within him, which promptly went south to elicit a favourable reaction. He noticed the angel's sleeping shorts begin to move of their own accord at the same time.

Pit chuckled at his lover, the idea of intimacy after going without for a few days turning him on quite well. "Well…" he whispered, thinking on Link's words to him playfully. "If I've got a few favours to call in, I think I'll just take one and save the others…" He grinned at Link. "But I think I'll make it the big one!"

Link couldn't have asked for a better answer. He leaned in to kiss his lover deeply, shedding the bedroll surrounding him as he rolled his beloved angel onto his back, straddling his waist and kissing that sweet mouth with unrivalled passion. He needed to show Pit that, when love went beyond words, it could only be conveyed with actions, and he wanted desperately to show his mate how much he meant to him over the last few days.

Their hands grasped each other's shoulders, their eyes rolling closed as they both opened their lips, their tongues touching delicately before growing more passionate. Their actions were strong but never forceful, each welcoming the other's powerful advances.

His lover over him, their chests pressed together so he could feel his hammering heart, Pit's hands roved Link's back, caressing the warm, battle-scarred skin. He tried to ignore the flicking tail, unsure of what it would do to Link now. Yes, the last time they had made love, it had driven Link absolutely wild with lust, but he was still fragile. The last thing Pit wanted to do was harm his love's state of mind.

Pit willingly spread his legs, welcoming Link between them. Link lowered his hips, their shorts rubbing together to create _delicious_ friction, their solid members grinding against each other. Pit began to whimper into their kiss, his eyes clouding lustfully beneath their lids. This was the Link he knew, the caring, adoring lover, the one who could blow his mind with a single touch, and Pit wanted him to touch his soul once more. His hands wrapped in Link's hair, stroking it whilst being very careful to avoid the feline ears. He pulled back from the kiss to moan powerfully, telling his lover without words that he was _wanted_.

He opened his hazy eyes to meet Link's, panting in anticipation. A single nod was all it took, and he felt Link's hands skate down to the waistband of his shorts. He too reached down and began to lower his lover's shorts, and within seconds, both garments had been tossed aside. He stole a glance at his mate's firm erection, not caring about the change, but _wanting_ it. He put his hands around Link's shoulders, bracing against him to bring his knees up, presenting himself to his beloved. Link quickly fished through the bag beside their bedrolls, returning with the small bottle they'd brought from the Mansion, and gently prepared them both. As he placed the bottle out of the way and crawled over Pit, their eyes locked. The air around them was thick with desire, and with a single, fluid movement, Link slid inside his lover.

Pit drew a gasping breath, his wings twitching behind him as he felt his lover's heat fill him. Link had never, and never would, hurt him when making love. He was always so careful… and with a slight unpleasant twinge, Pit knew his lover's change in size had certainly helped the first moment of union. Already in to his hilt, Pit wrapped his legs around Link's waist, clinging tightly to his mate, whispering words of love in his ear.

But for Link, something was missing. Usually when they first united, it was like a spark igniting a blazing fire, but although he felt his beloved's warmth and tightness… the flames refused to come. He gave a ginger thrust into his lover, making Pit moan in passion, but still, his arousal refused to rise. Pit's hands gripped him tightly, making his heart twist; Pit _needed_ this, Link _needed_ to make this good for Pit. Hesitantly, he began to thrust into the angel, drawing moans and whimpers of pleasure from him as his arms held him tighter. Link tried to touch the angel lovingly, like he would often do as they made love, but he knew he was having to _think_ about this, instead of doing anything instinctively. In fact, after a few moments, Pit called out.

"Link…"

It wasn't a moan of his name, but a whisper. Link could barely look his lover in the eyes, seeing the angel's face flushed with desire, but his eyes held looks of concern, and worry. Link looked away, his thrusts slowing until the pair lay still on the bedroll. Both panted hard, and Link felt shame wash through him. What had he done? This wasn't what was supposed to happen! Where was the passion? Where was the love he was trying to show his beloved?

_Oh great Goddesses… will Pit think I don't love him anymore?_

Link felt hands take his face tenderly and draw their eyes together. Pit's eyes were shining with concern, but nothing more. "Link…" he whispered. "Link, if you're not ready, don't force yourself… I don't mind…"

"I'm so sorry, Pit…" Link whispered, trying not to cry at the thought of disappointing his beloved.

Pit cupped his cheek, somehow smiling. "It's fine, Link… don't worry."

Still torn inside, Link hesitantly pulled out of Pit. The angel managed to suppress the whimper at the feeling of loss, as he knew Link didn't need to hear it. He quickly kissed Link, trying his best to reassure him, to stop him worrying. "Let's just take it slow."

Link nodded. He shifted, about to roll them both on their sides to lie next to each other, when Pit tugged at his arms. "Here… lie down like this… Let me hold you…"

Pit guided Link to lie down with his back toward him. He wrapped his arms tightly around Link's chest and seemed to meld his body perfectly against the Hylian's. "It's okay, Link… don't regret that. I understand what you're going through. Don't push yourself." He said as he rested his head on Link's, breathing in his scent.

Link sighed. He couldn't help but feel incredible comfort in the way Pit was holding him, and he was surprised they hadn't lain like this before. "I just… I want to show you how much you mean to me, Pit…" he whispered.

Pit kissed behind Link's ear tenderly. "It's okay. You're everything to me, and nothing will ever change that. Not ears, not a tail… but if you start growing fur, I _am_ going to have to get a razor," he chuckled, trying his best to raise Link's spirits.

Link had to let out a couple of chuckles at Pit's words. The angel could always cheer him up… he was just like that. He was perfect.

Just like this was perfect, how they lay together. This felt so nice, to have Pit pressed up against his back, though he quickly felt something else press up against him, also concerning the angel.

Pit felt Link shift slightly and realised his painfully-erect member had suddenly slipped in between Link's cheeks as they lay there contently. He blushed immediately, slowly moving his hips to try and withdraw, but to his absolute surprise, Link's hips moved with him, keeping him there.

"Link?" Pit whispered.

"That… that feels kinda… good, Pit…" Link whispered. Unfamiliar feelings were rushing through him; chief among them was how _right_ it felt to lay here like this, and now to have the angel's member poking him like that. He backed up towards Pit a little more, and suddenly the head of the angel's member engaged directly with Link's entrance.

"Wow," Link gasped. He was surprised that this felt _really_ good, and he experimentally pushed against the angel's erection, making Pit's eyes go wide.

"Link, what are you doing?" Pit whispered, drawing back just enough that Link's actions didn't lead to accidental penetration.

Link carefully slacked Pit's hold on him and spun around to meet eyes with him. His expression was one Pit hadn't seen before, and he studied it for a moment. It was tender, and, _wait, what?_ Pit found himself wondering how that thought had crossed him, because Link looked _submissive_. And his voice did nothing to sway that thought.

"Pit, I…" Link stumbled, searching for the words to convey his feelings. "I… want you to make love to me…" He almost breathed, and had their faces been any further apart, Pit would never have heard the words. Pit's face froze as he thought over Link's request.

"You… want me to…" Pit replied, a mere whisper.

Link gently nodded. "Yeah… Please Pit… it just feels _right_…"

The mere thought of him making love to Link had never really crossed his mind. After all, it was Link who had always been the dominant one, always the one who made love to him. Now, his love was in his arms, asking it of him.

Link rolled onto his back, Pit following so he was atop him, looking down. He found himself gazing up into Pit's deep blue eyes, nestled between his slender, yet muscular arms, and feeling everything was just...perfect. "I love you," he whispered.

Still slightly surprised by his lover's actions, Pit smiled broadly. "I love you too," he returned. "Are you sure?"

Link nodded as he brought his knees up, rubbing them along Pit's thighs and waist. This action, entirely instinctual, exposed Link in a way he had never been before. He saw Pit prepare himself and then felt his lover's member at his entrance.

Pit looked down into his lover's eyes. There he saw a wanting, a need in them. Reaching down he placed himself at Link's entrance and gently pushed. Feeling resistance, he leaned down and kissed his lover's forehead. "You have to relax, my love," he whispered.

Taking a deep breath, Link slowly exhaled, relaxing his muscles. It was then that he felt Pit's tip slide into him. He gasped loudly, not from pain, but from surprise. He never had felt anything like this before.

"Are you alright?" Pit asked in concern as he ceased all movements.

"Yeah…" Link breathed. "It's just…different…don't stop."

Pit smiled, knowing exactly what Link was feeling. For months he had been in the position Link was in now. He knew that if he took his time, his lover would experience something like none other. Slowly, he started pushing more into Link, watching his eyes for any hint of pain.

Link's eyes widened, as Pit eventually pushed all the way in. The slight discomfort he had initially felt had by now melted away. He also had the intense feeling of belonging. Looking up at Pit, his best friend and lover, filled him with emotions so powerful they literally brought tears to his eyes.

"Link?" Pit asked, concerned. "Are you okay?"

"Pit, I…" Link sighed, reaching up and stroking his face. "I feel wonderful. Just you being with me…like this…is simply wonderful."

Pit smiled and slowly started his motions. The feeling of being over Link, to be in control, were adding a level of excitement and wonder that was foreign to him. He watched as Link reacted to his movements, heard his moans of growing ecstasy.

The tent was filled with whimpers and gasps as the two made love like never before. Eventually, Pit felt the impending feeling of release approaching. He lowered himself down so he was lying on top of Link, who responded by wrapping his arms around his back under his wings and pulling him tight.

"Pit…Pit," Link breathed as he too was trembling with pleasure. His legs wrapped around Pit's waist, locking at the ankles. "Oh gods, Pit… I love you!" He whimpered almost desperately.

Taking Link's face in his hands, Pit kissed his lover passionately. Their tongues wresting as Pit continued his motions. Suddenly, Link arched his back underneath Pit, his lips releasing a near-scream of ecstasy into his lover's mouth.

Pit felt the warmth of Link's release between them. That, combined with the rhythmic spasms of Link's muscles, caused Pit to follow, tensing up and, with a victorious cry, releasing within Link.

Time seemed to stand still as the two held each other in trembling arms. Link had his head buried in Pit's chest while the angel held him tightly. Breathing hard and totally absorbed in each other's being, they stayed together for what seemed hours.

Eventually, Pit slowly raised his head and looked down at the slightly smaller Link and was overwhelmed with a feeling of love. There was also something else there, something that Pit couldn't identify. Beneath him was his lover…HIS lover. He heart swelled with emotion as a tear made its way down his cheek. It was then that he realized what he had been hearing all along. Tilting his head slightly he found that the low and soft rumbling sound was coming from Link. "Link…you're purring," he said with a smile.

Link slowly raised his head, looking into the angel's blue eyes, his own barely focused. "Huh?" he softly asked.

"You're purring," Pit repeated, grinning.

Link blinked a few times, now feeling the soft vibrations in his throat. He hadn't even realised he was making sounds at all, they were simply happening. "I…I guess I am," he chuckled slightly, unsure if this was a good or bad sign.

"I think it's sweet," Pit said.

Looking up in Pit's eyes, Link sighed. "Oh well, it's easy to see why," he said, sniffing. "I'm in your arms." He blinked away a few tears and nuzzled his head back into Pit's chest. "Pit, you're my everything."

Pit held his lover close. "No matter what happens, no matter how this turns out, I will always be there for you," he whispered.

The two stayed together in the hug, Link eventually unlocking his ankles and relaxing his legs. "I could stay here all day in your arms," he softly said as he felt Pit's heart beating.

"And nothing would make me happier than just holding you like this," Pit replied, running his fingers through Link's hair. They brushed against one of his ears, making him giggle slightly. "Oops, sorry," Pit quickly said.

"Hey, for now, they're a part of me," Link said, looking up. "Every part of me is yours."

Pit responded by gently running a finger along the edge of one of the soft ears, making Link stiffen and gasp slightly.

"Um, Pit…maybe you should save that for when we have more…time." Link chuckled.


	5. Chapter 5

Whoa, has it seriously been TWO MONTHS since we last saw you all? Well, we apologise for the delay; mostly my bad, work has been so taxing recently I've barely had time to work on anything personal. My internship ends at the end of June, though, and after that I have a nice long summer, during which I fully intend to catch up on my much-neglected Zelda works. I apologise also to those who might be reading this and wondering why I haven't gotten around to updating Scars. Put simply, I have little time or energy, and really I'm only helping Day write this :) In other news, I turned 21 on the twelfth of May, not much of a celebration though; much as I wanted to head to Alton Towers, my birthday lies right in the middle of exam season and my friends couldn't make it -sigh-. Still, I got a nice haul of money, and am gearing up to buy myself a 3DS and Zelda: OoT 3D when it comes out! Might give me some inspiration for Scars, perhaps :)  
Now, we believe this chapter should appeal to everyone's inner child (especially if said inner child enjoys yaoi ;) ), so enjoy!

* * *

**Nine Lives  
Chapter 5**

"Hey…everything's going to be alright," whispered Pit as they rode up the darkening lane toward the mansion. He could practically feel the anticipation as he tightened his embrace around Link.

That day had been spent riding into Castle Town and making their way to the 'transportation center.' There, through some mystical means, they had been whisked away to a similar center in the small town of Smashville.

The workers there all gave second takes at Link, who, aside from being shorter than his partner angel, now sported brown and yellow cat ears along with a prominent feline tail.

"Pay them no mind," Pit had whispered as they led a grateful Epona from the platform and toward the front door. Link's ears had been folded flat as they left the building and mounted the faithful mare. There he resumed his silent apprehension, worried about being discovered by the other brawlers.

Pit sighed as he nuzzled his face against Link's hair and repeated, "Everything is going to be fine."

Link closed his eyes, dreading the next few hours. "I just want get to our room and stay there until Soren figures things out," he softly said, breaking his day-long silence. "I don't want anyone to see me like this."

"Don't worry," Pit said, glancing at the evening sky. "It should be around dinner time when we get to the mansion. Hopefully there won't be anyone wandering the halls."

"I hope not." Link whispered. "If anyone saw me like this… I'd never live it down."

Pit responded by squeezing Link. "We'll keep you hidden."

…..

The moon and stars were the only illumination as they rode into the small barn off to the side of the mansion. There they led Epona into her massive stall, the mare whinnying gratefully as Link dropped some fresh hay and oats into her food trough.

Taking Link's hand, Pit led him up the walk toward the mansion. "It might be better if we go through the basement," he whispered. "That way we can head up to the fourth floor on the service stairway and sneak to our room unseen."

Link looked over and smiled at Pit adoringly. "You really have thought about this," he whispered.

"I have to look out for my beloved," Pit smiled in return as he slowly opened the door. The hallway beyond was dark and empty. "Hopefully everyone will still be in the dining hall," he whispered as he continued to lead Link down the hall.

Link's tail was swishing back and forth nervously as he tightened his grip on his lover's hand. "I…I sure hope so."

The two continued down a few more hallways before coming to a small stairway. They then slowly ascended, taking care not to make any noise. Eventually they came to the fourth floor. Quietly, Pit opened the door and peered out. His eyes grew and he held his breath as he saw Samus and Snake walking away from them. He snapped his head back inside, peeking through the gap.

"Snake! You're so bad!" Samus giggled loudly. She then turned and looked the leering mercenary. "I _love_ bad."

"You want bad, huh?" Snake chuckled. "Let's get to my room…I'll show you bad."

"Ohh…" mocked Samus. Her voice took on a very seductive purr. "Going to break out the ropes again?"

"Kinda tame, aren't they?" Snake said, smacking her on the backside. "I was thinking something with a bit more…leather."

Samus's eyes grew before she broke into some very raunchy giggling. It was then that the pair turned the corner at the far end of the corridor.

"Wow…" whispered Link as he peeked out underneath Pit's chin. "Snake and Samus…"

Pit chuckled softly. "Yeah…and what a horny pair…" he started before breaking off and looking down at Link's golden blond hair. "Kind of sounds familiar, huh?"

Link looked up at him slightly confused. "What? Oh…" he whispered, blushing as he got it.

"Come on, the hall's clear," Pit said, opening the door all the way. The two dashed down the hall, skidding to a stop before their door. The instant the lock had clicked, Link threw open the door and shot into the room.

Pit followed and closed the door. "We made it," he sighed as he locked the door. Turning, he leaned back and watched as Link fell, face first, onto their bed.

"I'm safe," came Link's voice, muffled by the bedclothes. He let out a heavy sigh that made Pit smile.

"I'll go get something for us to eat." Pit said. "I'll tell everybody that you aren't feeling well, and that's why we came back from our vacation early. If I spot Soren, I'll ask him to come up tomorrow morning."

"Then maybe he can lift this damn curse," Link mumbled into the downy comforter. He then felt Pit's hands rubbing his shoulder, making him turn his head and look up.

"Hey, whatever happens, I'll be there for you," Pit whispered, leaning down and kissing Link's cheek. "Relax and get comfortable. I'll be right back."

Link sighed. "Love you, Pit."

"I love you too, Link," Pit replied. He then stood and walked to the door. "I'm going to lock the door, and I'll take my keys, so you don't need to answer the door to anyone. Just stay here, and try to relax. This'll all be over soon."

Link smiled and nodded as he watched Pit open the door, checking both directions and slipping out.

"So, you only ran across Luigi and Marth?" Link asked as he took another bite of his sandwich. The two were sitting on the bed, wearing just their underwear, having agreed to get some sleep immediately after their dinner.

"Yeah, and I told them both that you weren't feeling well and wanted to stay in bed undisturbed," replied Pit, also taking a bite of his sandwich. Peach's homemade bread was truly excellent, and was surprisingly filling.

"Good! Maybe we'll be able to keep this quiet after all," Link said with a wan smile.

Pit looked at Link with concern. His poor lover had been through a lot over the past few days and even though a possible cure was just around the corner, there was still a lot of worry in those beautiful blue eyes, a lot of tension… Pit didn't want to think about how high Link's stress must have been running, especially sneaking around like thieves earlier. Link hadn't exactly been sleeping well the past few days, either. It was then that an idea formed in his mind.

Setting his drink down, he crawled toward Link and took the finished plate from his hand. He then leaned the surprised Hylian onto his back.

"Pit, what…" he started before being cut off by the angel's finger gently pressing to his lips.

"Shhh…" Pit whispered, knowing exactly what his beloved needed right now. "Just relax and enjoy." He moved over Link and leaned down, lightly licking around one of his nipples.

"Gods…Pit!" Link gasped, arching has back, feeling lightning strike through his body. Not just that, this newfound aggression Pit was showing was kind of exciting, making his tail involuntarily twitch.

Grinning as he continued to lightly lick and nip around Link's nipple, Pit reached down and slowly began lowering his lover's boxers. Bringing up one of his legs, he hooked a toe in the underwear and pushed them all the way off.

"Pit…" Link started but again was cut off by the angel's finger on his lips.

Pit started to kiss down Link's chest as he moved between his legs. When he reached his target, Pit gently took it in his hand, stroking it slowly.

Link closed his eyes, knowing what was about to happen. Since becoming lovers, he had always been amazed at how good Pit was at oral sex. A gasp escaped his lips as he felt the angel's tongue begin its dance around his sensitive tip.

Still gently stroking Link's member, Pit began to bathe the tip in saliva, reveling in the texture and the taste. He looked up to see Link closing his eyes and holding his breath in anticipation. Smiling, he obliged his lover and slowly lowered his mouth onto the organ, causing Link so release a long, satisfied sigh.

Link reached down and ran his fingers through Pit's silken hair in appreciation. "I love you so much," he whispered.

Pit responded by slowly bringing up his head so only the tip remained in his mouth before going back down to the base. All the while, his tongue was massaging the sensitive underside of Link's member.

"Oh Pit…this feels so good…" Link whispered as his breathing began to quicken.

Smiling, Pit began to increase his speed. He knew exactly what his lover liked and wasted no time in bringing up his hand to gently fondle Link's smooth sack. Carefully, he massaged the sensitive orbs as he continued the movements with his head. He then got an idea. His other arm snaked underneath Link and found where his tail met his lower back. Then, using his fingernails, he began to lightly scratch. The effect surprised him.

Link gasped loudly, almost at a loss for words, as he arched his back and tensed up his legs. His hands flew to the bedsheets and gripped tightly. "Pi…Pit…!" he stammered through the panting. Energy crashed through his body with an intensity he wasn't used to, and he was suddenly struggling to string simple sounds together.

Sensing the impending release, Pit froze his head with only the top half of Link's hardness in his mouth. He then started rubbing the underside with his tongue. This technique was one that always drove Link wild, but now added to the scratching he was doing behind his back, was taking him to new levels of bliss.

"Pit…" Link squeaked, his entire body exploding with pleasure, as he began releasing in his lover's mouth. The golden energy that rippled through him seemed to be more powerful and more cleansing than he had ever had before. All thought left his mind as he fell into a blissful afterglow. With a perfectly satisfied sigh, his mind now a blank slate, Link fell back to the bed, his eyes closed, having fallen asleep immediately, and ready to dream once more of himself and his beloved angel.

…..

Pit's eyes blinked open. It took him a few seconds of semi-wakefulness to figure out that he was in his bed, in his room, at the Smash Mansion. His arm was wrapped protectively around Link and his chin was resting against his sandy-colored hair. He looked down, and in the morning light peaking in through the drapes, saw Link's naked body cuddled close to his own. Reaching down, he gently took Link's tail in his hand and pulled it slowly upward. When he released his grasp, it sprung back and curled around his and Link's body, as though of its own accord, making him giggle slightly.

"Do you like it that much?" Link softly asked, also sleepily chuckling.

"Oh…sorry if I woke you," Pit said.

"It's okay, I was already awake," Link replied as he stretched his legs. He looked up at Pit, smiling broadly. "I am the luckiest person alive to have you."

Pit blushed and leaned down, kissing Link on the forehead. "Really? Well, I think I am the luckiest person alive to have you."

Link chuckled and rolled on top of Pit, hugging him tightly. "Thank you for last night," he whispered.

"Of course, my love. I wanted you to make you feel good and relax," Pit replied, rubbing his hands along Link's back. He then giggled softly. "Though I've never managed to knock you out like that!"

Link's face flushed. "I… guess I kinda needed it to clear my head…" He grinned down at Pit. "Let me repay the favor," he whispered before being interrupted by his rumbling stomach.

Pit laughed. "How about after breakfast?"

Link thought about it for a few seconds. "Okay, but later today, we take a nice, long shower together and then…" he said, winking.

"Nothing would make me happier," Pit replied as he gently tugged on Link's tail.

"Hey!" Link mockingly objected as he sat up. "That's kind of sensitive, you know."

Pit rolled out of bed and stood, stretching his arms and wings wide. "Of course I know, I made sure of that last night.," he said, giggling.

Link laughed as he watched Pit getting dressed. "You know, I think I'll get dressed, just in case you run into Soren."

"Not a bad idea," Pit replied, pulling on his sandals. "Now, I'll be right back with breakfast," he said, heading to the door. Opening the door, he looked both ways before quickly leaving and pulling the door behind him to shut it. Unnoticed, however, the doorknob didn't latch, leaving it cracked slightly.

Link laid on the bed, staring at the ceiling, deep in thought. Last night had been a kind of epiphany for him. No matter what clouded his mind, no matter how he felt, Pit was always there for him. The angel knew exactly what to say and what to do to help him through anything. In the end, he knew that as long as he had Pit, he would be all right.

He sat up and took his tail in his hand and chuckled. "So there's a chance I might be like this forever," he mumbled. Running his fingers through the short, soft fur on his tail, he again got lost in thought. Pit would love him, no matter what, so would it truly be so bad? His days of purging Hyrule of evil were far behind him, so as long as he could still do what he wished…

Eventually, he let go of his tail and stood up, grabbing his boxers. He slowly pulled them on and went to his dresser to retrieve a pair of clean socks. Sitting on the bed, he pulled a clean sock, chuckling that it was now a few sizes too large. "Did my feet used to be that big?" he chuckled as he reached down to pull on another.

…..

Few creatures tend to be as curious as friendly Pokémon. So when a certain bright-yellow mouse noticed the door to a dorm room slightly ajar, his curiosity was piqued. He knew the room's two occupants had gone on a romantic getaway a couple of weeks earlier, but rumours had quickly spread that Pit had reappeared the night before, long before they were due back, and had mentioned that his partner wasn't well. So, Pikachu being the friendly and concerned creature he was, he nudged open the door enough to poke his head through.

…..

Link heard the door slowly open and looked up from his socks. His eyes fell upon a small, vibrantly-coloured rodent poking its head around the door. He simply stopped in his tracks.

"Pika?" Pikachu asked, his large black eyes curious. He saw who was clearly Link sitting on the bed, looking reasonably alert, so he pushed the door open wider and stepped into the room. Slowly, his eyes took in the sight of his friend, growing wider as he noticed a few… changes…

Blinking a few times, Link felt his tail swishing slowly behind him. His feline ears perked forward and a smile appeared on his face. Suddenly, he launched himself off the bed and leaped at the surprised Pokémon

"PIKA!" Pikachu yelled as he jumped out of the way as Link crashed to the floor. Turning and jumping with an agility only an electric mouse could possess, he landed on Link's back before bolting toward the door.

Link was on his feet in a second and began chasing the frightened rodent down the long corridor. It was though all rational thought had left his mind; he was going on sheer instinct. Something more basic, more primal… Something yelling at him over and over again, 'Mouse! Mouse! Get it! Get it!'

Pikachu scampered down the corridor as fast as he could, frantic yells of, "Pika! Pika!" thrown behind him as he did. Bouncing off a small table at one of the main stairways, the small Pokémon launched himself down the stairs and continued his run, trying to stay away from the pursuing Link. In between looking for ways to lose the… _whatever_ it was that was pursuing him, since it definitely wasn't Link, Pikachu's mind raced in thought as to what on earth had happened to the blonde-haired Hylian he'd made friends with a few months prior.

"Get back here!" Link yelled as he ran, turning and jumping down the stairs by the threes. However, to Pikachu, Link's words were more of a strangled growl, something animalistic. He chanced a glance over his shoulder and, to his surprise, saw that Link had, at some point, dropped to his hands, racing across the carpeted floor on all-fours. Pikachu noted with intrigue that Link looked almost exactly like a cat hunting its prey… and that would make its prey… _uh-oh!_ The mouse stepped up a gear and thundered around a corner, now deciding to seek refuge.

After turning a few more flights of stairs, Pikachu ran through the main foyer of the mansion. It was a huge room with several side corridors. Pikachu selected the right one and bolted, Link still on his heels.

Link's eyes were glued to Pikachu as he ran in front of him. A wild smile was plastered on his face as he ran. To him, this was thrilling and exhilarating. It was as if thoughts of any complexity were simply being ignored. Just him and his quarry engaged in an all-out race. He barely even registered that he had dropped almost to the floor and was running cat-like after the rodent.

Pikachu ran into a large room set with a long, great table at its center. He jumped onto the table and began streaking toward the other side.

Link also jumped onto the table, still in pursuit. Almost instantly, he felt his bare foot land in something hot and squishy. He then felt his other foot kick something out of someone's hand. It wasn't until he was in the center of the table did reality hit him and he stopped running, coming to an instant halt.

He slowly looked around the room, now deadly quiet. He had frozen in mid-stride, crouched on the table on three limbs, one hand poised to take a further step forwards. He was surrounded by what had to be most of the inhabitants of the Smash Mansion, and they were _all_ staring at him. He could _feel_ every pair of eyes on him. Unable to move his body out of growing fear, Link's eyes glanced at the table beneath it, seeing that he was hovering above a mess of disturbed breakfasts. His mind's eye immediately suggested that behind him he would see a swath of destruction; broken plates, spilled drinks and food everywhere. He then looked down to see one of his feet covered in oatmeal. His previously-straight tail then curled around his body self consciously as he looked around the room one more time. 'Oh…_shit_…' he thought to himself. And there was not enough emphasis in the universe to place on the second word.

The general looks of the gathered crowd were blank, at first. Everyone seemed unable to comprehend what they saw, and for long moments tried to rationalize that what they were looking at was _not_, in fact,their good friend Link sporting feline ears and a _tail_, but in fact some kind of shared hallucination brought about by the cornflakes; Fox's eyes wandered continuously between the figure on the table and his bowl of cereal, before eventually pushing the bowl slowly away from him.

Slowly, as the tension in the room built to breaking point, someone finally spoke.

"This… this is just _too_ easy…"

A deep, throaty laugh built to a boom from Ganondorf, his golden-brown eyes staring incredulously at the Hylian. The warlord suddenly collapsed to the floor, quaking with raw, uninhibited laughter, and this seemed to be the trigger the others had been waiting for.

Then the murmuring began, and Link suddenly decided it would be perfectly acceptable if someone could just cut a hole right underneath him that he could fall straight into. A bottomless pit would really help, too…

"Is that Link?" "No way! He's a-" "Great Gods, what on-" "He's a CAT!"

Fractures of disbelief flittered through Link's ears as he willed his body to unfreeze, certain that if he didn't just _move_, he was going to melt into a puddle out of raw shame.

"Well…"

_No, no, please…_ Recognising that loud voice as belonging to one obnoxious redheaded swordsman, Link began dreading the next words. _Please. I'll go one-on-one with Bowser NAKED!_

"…the cat's out of the bag now!"

Silence for a few moments, but not for long. As deafening laughter swept through everyone gathered until the sound of total humiliation filled the air, Link caught sight of Roy, doubled over at his own joke, and Marth, whose head fell into his hand so slowly Link could _feel_ the building frustration. Finally willing his body to do _something_, he found his hand finally responded, coming to rest neatly in a puddle of spilled orange juice.

_Wonderful_.

"Here kitty-kitty-kitty!'

The calls carried on, broken by uncontrollable laughter, for a few seconds, before the air was once again dominated by a loud shout.

"PIKA!"

Link looked around in time to see Pikachu jump onto Red's hat, who was so mesmerized he didn't seem to notice his faithful companion's crackling cheeks.

Without energy to fight back, Link's last thoughts were simply, _Oh no…_

"CHU!"

The yell of an indignant Pokémon was accompanied by a powerful blast of electricity that picked the hapless Hylian up off the table, carrying him across the room to go sailing through the open Dining Hall door, conveniently out of sight, accompanied by the unseen sound of someone coming crashing to a halt in a pile of zero dignity.

In the silence brought about by utter, humiliating disbelief, a weak voice could be heard beyond the doors.

"So…rry… Pi…kachu…"


	6. Chapter 6

Why must real life get in the way of yaoi, huh? Sorry to keep you all waiting! I've managed to land myself a job for the summer, which, whilst taking care of finances for a while, means I'm going to have a tenth of the free time I wanted. Que sera, I guess, and I do need the money :)  
Thanks to all who reviewed the last chapter, so let's not keep you waiting any longer!

* * *

Nine Lives  
Chapter 6

The sound of incomprehensible growls and mumbles was faintly audible down the empty corridor as a very dishevelled-looking Link trudged along it, followed closely by his partner angel. Link's clothes were a mess, and slightly singed; his hair was worse. He walked with his head down, feline ears pressed flat to his head, his tail dragging along the floor as he cursed his own stupidity under his breath. And if he didn't know any better, he swore he saw occasional bursts of electricity cross his body, making him jolt almost comically.

Pit was trying his best not to laugh at his lover's predicament, he really was. He knew there was no way Link would have pulled that stunt of his own free will; he'd wanted nothing better than to hole up in their room until the entire mess could be straightened out. However, he couldn't deny that Link had made a perfect fool of himself, in front of almost _everyone_ in the manor at once. How could someone _not_ laugh at the sight of a cat chasing a mouse, only to have the mouse exact perfect revenge on the cat?

Link caught the sounds of further stifled chortles from the angel and grunted. "You know, you're my lover… You're not supposed to be laughing at me." He flinched as another bolt of lightning raced across his clothes, and Pit saw the electricity sparkle through his hair, ruffling it even further. A tiny puff of smoke rose from his body.

Pit released the chuckles this time. "Aw, but you pulled off the 'stunned cat' look so well, Link!" He threw his arms around his lover, feeling a crackle of static electricity zap him.

"Remind me of that again," Link growled, though his voice was laced with laughter rather than venom. "And you won't get any for a _week_, okay?" He turned to look at his beloved's smiling face, and couldn't help but release a smile of his own.

"Please," Pit chuckled, touching his finger to Link's nose. "_You_ would crack before I did!"

Link sighed and kept walking.

Pit gently slid his arms around Link's waist in comfort. "Just ignore the others… Words can't hurt you."

Link grunted a laugh. "I should tell you the same."

"Oh?" Pit inquired, looking Link in the eyes. "And why's that?"

Link finally allowed a genuine smile to grace his lips. "As far as they care, you're dating a cat, after all!"

Pit's eyes popped wide for a second, before he laughed. "Yeah… a cute, fuzzy, little kitty… The girls will be _so_ jealous…"

Link had to giggle at Pit. It was just as he thought; no matter how tough things got, not matter what stupid thing he did, Pit would always be there to make him smile.

As they rounded the corner to their room, Link picked up someone else smiling at him, and subconsciously prepared for the worst. Halfway along the corridor, directly outside their room, stood two figures, and Link breathed a heavy sigh of relief when he worked out who they were.

"Soren… thank the Goddesses…"

The sage stepped forward, clasping Link's hand and pulling his friend into a hug. From behind him, Link saw Ike give a friendly nod while leaning against the wall. Eventually he pulled back and looked at the now-much-shorter Hylian.

"Link, I would say it is good to see you, but given your present appearance…" he looked Link up and down. "I would assume you don't want me to say that."

Link stifled a laugh at the sage's accurate assessment. He knew of no-one sharper than Soren. "It's good to see you, though."

Pit had by now forced Ike into a hug. "So, to what do we owe the pleasure of this visit?" He asked both of them.

"Don't take this the wrong way," Ike replied, trying not to laugh. "But it looks like you're in a bit of a hole, Link."

"Don't worry Link, the last person to poke fun at your situation will be me," he assured the Hylian, before shooting a glance at Ike. "My _oaf_ of a partner, by contrast…"

Ike chuckled, twisting his head and pointing at what appeared to be omelette contrasting perfectly with his blue hair. "You made a mess of my breakfast, cat-boy, but just know it's nothing personal." He reached out his long arm and laid his wide hand on Link's head, stroking it. "After all, who could stay mad at a face like that?" His voice took on a babyish tone. Pit slapped his hand to his forehead, laughing. Link released a quiet growl.

"Link, I believe we have extremely important matters to discuss. May we?" Soren requested, motioning to the door. Pit snapped to it and led them all inside. Taking up seats on assorted furniture, Ike and Pit focused on their respective partners, who were facing each other; Link sat on the bed, Soren in a chair, his eyes scanning Link's features.

Finally, Soren spoke. "I knew as soon as I saw you that you would be seeking my help." He continued at Link's enquiring eyes. "You have been cursed, Link… and not well, either. And you came back here to ask me to help you."

Link gave a hesitant nod.

"It's okay, you're my friend. I will do all I can, but to do so, I must know what happened." Soren gently pressed.

Link slowly related the events of the pair's getaway to their friends. Ike looked on, fascinated, whilst Soren's gaze seemed to grow ever more serious. A few moments silence hung in the air when Link had finished, which was again banished by Soren.

"Yes… this is as I thought. I have seen a few animal transfiguration curses, Link. They are some of the worst to interrupt. In a manner, it might have been better for the transfiguration to have completed; it is easier to reverse a complete curse than an incomplete one."

Pit was chewing his lip. "I didn't know…"

"It is fine, Pit. You did what you knew was best for your lover. It is not your fault. But Link…" The Hylian's gaze snapped to Soren again. "Know that the road to reversing this spell may be tough. I may have to experiment to discover the nature of the curse, and I fear we may not have much time."

"What do you mean?" Both Pit and Link seemed to speak at once.

"When I said that you were 'cursed, and not well,' I was referring to your… _incident_ in the Dining Hall earlier." He gave a soft sigh. "When a living being is transfigured into an animal, they will normally adopt all of that animal's behaviours. Because your curse is incomplete, much like your ears and tail, fragments of the cat's behaviour are bleeding into your normal personality. As time passes, I believe it is possible that more will cross over, and it will become extremely difficult to separate what is 'you' from what is 'feline.' You had no control over your chase with Pikachu, did you?"

Link grimaced. "No…"

Soren gave an understanding nod. "Over time, more subconscious urges may take you, and it is all too possible that, if they embed too far, even if we reverse your physical mutation, that those behaviours will become part of you forever."

Link's eyes seemed to fall wide open as his body froze in place. Images flew across his eyes of himself chasing string, lying with outstretched limbs, drinking from a bowl of milk… all without his control? Shaking slightly, Link slowly looked up at Pit, who instantly flew to Link's side, wrapping his arms around his lover and held him tight, as if he could stop 'Link' from falling prey to the 'cat' by holding him. Clinging to the angel just as tightly, Link quickly steeled himself. "Soren…" He looked to the sage again. "Soren, I'll do anything…anything you ask."

"I have much to research before I can advise you, Link, but I will not rest until I have found an answer. Please, just hold on. Hold onto who you are until we find a way to return you to normal."

Link's hand weaved into Pit's and squeezed softly, feeling the angel return the squeeze. "I will, Soren." _So long as I have Pit, I will._

…_.. _

The remainder of the morning was spent cleaning up. Link and Pit took a quiet shower together, cleaning the bits and pieces of their fellow brawlers' breakfasts off of Link.

"Hey, now that everybody knows, you won't have to hide in our room," Pit pointed out as they dried off. "We should try to make things as normal as possible."

Link stopped drying off his leg and stared at the floor. "I…guess you're right," he said. While he didn't relish the thought of the stares and giggles that he would receive, he knew that people would talk anyways; there was no getting around it. He might as well stare this challenge in the face.

By the time that the two had finished cleaning up and getting dressed, it was time for lunch. Pit had talked Link into heading to the training pitch after they ate for some light training, so they each dressed in their standard brawling outfits complete with their weapons.

They made their way down to the dining hall and grabbed a light lunch. As Link had predicted, he was the object of more than a few stares. Soon after they took their seats they were joined by Marth and Roy.

"Hi Marth…hi Roy," Pit said merrily, trying to act as casual as possible.

"Um…hi there guys," Marth replied as he sat down. "So, how was your vacation?" As soon as the words left his mouth he froze, a blush creeping over his face. "I mean…"

"What the brilliant orator here is trying to say is, what the hell happened?" Roy chimed in, openly gawking at Link.

Link sighed and glared back at the redhead. "Well, if I'm going to tell anyone the story, it might as well be the celebrated bigmouth of the mansion."

Roy chuckled and bowed his head to Link. "I've never pretended to be anything less," he smirked.

Link gave a quick, if frustrated, summation of how the witch cursed him and how Pit had interceded, stopping the spell which would have turned him into a full cat. He then added that he had already spoken with Soren and that the sage had told him that there was hope to reverse the spell.

"That's great," Marth said. "I can't think of anyone that knows more about magic than Soren."

"Yeah, nobody beat Soren when it comes to the whole ooogy-boogy thing," Roy said as he raised his arms and wiggled his fingers.

"Well, we should get out to the training field," Pit said, laughing as he got ready to stand. "We might as well make things as normal as possible."

"That will be an interesting sight," Roy chuckled. "I hear Pikachu was looking for a practise partn-OW!" He exclaimed as he was kicked under the table. He glared at the other three, but all seemed equal in claiming credit.

"Oh, ha ha!" Link said. "Keep it up and I might use _you_ to practise on!"

"Come on," Pit said, grinning at his lover. "Let's go." The two walked out of the dining hall, through the large entryway and out into the warm afternoon sun. "Ignore him," Pit said. "You know Roy is all talk."

"I know," Link said as he walked beside Pit. "I have to remind myself that every time I want to strangle him." The angel chuckled in response.

They made their way to one of the smaller training areas. There were wooden dummies, practice targets, and a whole range of training equipment. A few others were already out here; Link spotted Ness and Lucas shooting small balls of energy at each other whilst evading and blocking the other. Samus sat on a bench, without her suit, her plasma whip in her lap. From the looks of it, she was tweaking the inner workings. Mario was practising his cape timing as Peach threw assorted vegetables at him. Amidst a worryingly-large pile of weapons stood Snake, a cigarette hanging from his lips as he took a break. Further back, towards the tree line that enclosed the practise area, a lone yellow-and-purple motorbike sat in the shade.

"I'm going to practice some aerial archery," Pit said as he pulled his twin blades from his belt, snapping them together to form the sacred bow of Palutena. "Are you going to be alright?"

"What? Sure!" Link chuckled. He eyed one of the target dummies. "Remember how Ike split one of those things in half with a single blow last month? I've been wanting to try it!"

Pit nodded in approval, smiling at the thought of his muscular warrior wielding his blessed sword. "And maybe later I'll try some archery myself." A loud clang suddenly rang through the air; almost everyone turned to see Mario staggering, his eyes spinning as an irate-looking Peach waved her frying pan at him.

Everyone laughed quietly; knowing Mario, Link guessed, he'd just made a comment on his wife's figure or something. Pit turned back to Link, spreading his wings and winking. "If you need to let off some steam, you could pretend that the dummy is Roy."

Link held his chin, comparing two dummies. After a moment, he indicated the second, which was somewhat less worn than the first, and retained more of its original shape, which appeared to be a human holding some kind of weapon. He framed its head between his fingers. "Just add a red wig and we're good to go," Link smirked, already picturing flame-red hair exploding from the dummy's head, growing larger as he raced towards it, sword drawn…. He then watched as Pit shot skyward before turning and approaching the sword training area. He took a deep breath and reached behind him, his fingers gripping the large blade strapped to his back. For a moment, he just stood there, his fingers tracing the fine details on the hilt. It was Hyrule's greatest honour, he knew, to wield the Master Sword. No other blade compared. It was perfectly weighted, and seemed to move with an energy of its own in battle.

Link stepped onto the sand-covered training strip, facing his new nemesis. He spun the ball of his right foot, testing the ground, breathing slowly. His fingers remained on the hilt of the blade as he decided how to warm up. Making up his mind, he gripped the sword fully, remembering that he hadn't drawn the blade for what seemed like ages; the last time was not long after they arrived in Hyrule.

Focusing on the move, Link bent his knees, intending to draw the sword and launch straight into a jump strike. The dummy would be dismembered instantly, he smiled. With his signature battle cry, he wrenched the sword upward as he sprang.

Eyes wide, he crashed to a halt before the dummy, arm still behind his back. The blade had stopped, the top half still lodged in the scabbard. He looked at it over his shoulder "What the hell?" he muttered as he pushed the sword back all the way in before trying again. Just as before, the sword stopped halfway out.

"Oh come on, its not that hard," he heard a voice behind him. Looking to his other side he saw Samus walking up. Before he could say anything, the bounty huntress reached up, took the handle of the sword in her hand, and pulled it free. Link stared in amazement as he was presented his sword. "How did you…?" he started.

"It's easy. Your arms are too short." The woman eyed Link with a growing giggle. "Either that or your sword got longer. Not trying to compensate for something, are you?"

Link growled as laugher began to break out. Both Earthbound boys were trying to hold in childish giggles, whilst Snake removed his cigarette, letting out a hearty guffaw. Link sighed as Samus walked off towards him, swaggering slightly. He lifted his sword, which took a lot more strength than he remembered. He then realized that with smaller size, came less strength. 'Okay Link,' he thought to himself. 'You can adjust to this.' He stepped back from the dummy until he was a sword's length from it. He decided to hold off on the jump strike until he had grown used to handling the sword again.

Though the others had by now stopped laughing and resumed their training, Link became aware of a few others trickling out of the Mansion or returning from the grounds, one or two of them stopping to watch him. Taking a deep breath, he tried to ignore them and stepped up to one of the dummies, raising his sword. Again he was more conscious of the blade's length and weight. It was very, very different to how he had fought before; perhaps the blade would only be perfect for him if he were fully Hylian.

He abandoned those thoughts and focused, narrowing his eyes and staring at the dummy. He then swung his arm around in a standard side-swipe. From there, everything went wrong. The weight of the sword multiplied in the swing, something that he had never had to calculate for. As the blade arced around, he tightened his grip to keep it flying from his hand. Now very much aware of the sword's momentum, Link was forced to spin a complete circle to keep a hold of it. Desperately trying to regain control, he realised all too late that he was far too close to his target. Completing the circle, his sword, and by extension, himself, crashed into the dummy. As the wooden target clattered around its mountings, Link bounced off it, losing his balance and falling face first in the sand.

Hissing and growling, Link picked himself up, spitting sand out of his mouth. He noticed the sword had embedded itself safely in the sand close to where he fell. However, the commotion seemed to have done its work. Raucous laughter floated through the air. He let loose several choice Hylian curses under his breath. "Just perfect…" He muttered as he stood, his feline ears flattened to his head in shame. "I can't even wield my sword."

Link didn't look around at the laughing crowd, deciding to prove he could still fight. With a determined stride over to the sword, he wrenched it from the ground, prepared for its weight this time. However, he was stopped from going any further by the sound of fluttering wings behind him.

A hand was laid softly on his shoulder. "Hey, are you okay?"

Link's body heaved a sigh. "You saw that?"

"Yeah," Pit whispered. He giggled once or twice before coming around to Link's front. The angel looked his lover up and down, brushing sand off his tunic where he saw it. "Do you want to go back in? Maybe you shouldn't be swinging that sword with people around."

Link sighed a little. "Are you going to stay and practise?"

Pit smiled at him. "No, I'll come in with you." He gently took the sword from Link's hand and slid it back into its scabbard, before taking Link's hand and directing him towards the manor.

As they walked, Link was silent. Pit felt his spirits droop, guessing that this curse was starting to get to his lover. It had humiliated him and was stopping him from doing things he loved.

Of course, someone decided to butt in and make things worse.

As they walked past Snake, who appeared to feeling up Samus (who wasn't resisting), the mercenary caught sight of Pit's expression. "Why so glum, Pit?" Didn't you get any pussy last night?"

Pit felt Link tense as the gathered crowd exploded into laughter. With only a moment's hesitation, Link wrenched himself free of Pit's grasp and bolted into the mansion like a scared kitten.

"Link!" Pit exclaimed as he ran after his lover. When he reached the top of the entrance stairs, he turned and saw Samus and Snake, still reeling from laughter. Narrowing his eyes, he pulled one of his blades and angled it, catching the Sun and focusing the beam on the ground at Snake's feet.

Within seconds, the mercenary had stopped laughing, sniffing the air. He had only begun to mention that he was smelling gunpowder when he and Samus were engulfed in a bright explosion, one of Snake's flash grenades detonating between them.

'I've been wanting to do THAT for FAR too long,' Pit thought as he turned and ran into the mansion.


	7. Chapter 7

Doing collaborations is fun since both sides bring something to the party! I found myself sitting down with a smidgen of inspiration and writing a lot of this in one evening, and it didn't take us long to hammer this chapter together. This bodes well for me writing more on my break to France in a few days!  
Thanks to everyone who reviewed the previous chapter, welcome new readers, and on with the show!

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Nine Lives  
Chapter 7

Pit's sense of satisfaction was soon thrown aside as he raced inside the building after his beloved. He'd lost sight of Link, and he knew from experience that the Hylian had amazing stamina; he could hold a run for as long as he wished. He was probably back in their room already, curled up on their bed, trying to hold his emotions in. Pit shook himself, wanting more than ever to take Link into his arms and comfort him. Snake had been out of line, making references to their changed love life. He didn't know, but it was unnecessary.

Approaching the grand staircase, Pit slowed upon noticing two other Brawlers; Falco was helping his commanding officer to his feet.

Fox dusted himself off, turning to Pit as he saw the angel approach. "You're after Link? He went that way." The commander gestured with his hand. "He looked pretty messed up."

Pit tilted his head as he followed Fox's gesture; he wasn't pointing up the stairs to their room, but instead down a side corridor. Where could he be going? "Thanks, Fox. Sorry about him."

Fox held up his hands in insistence. "Forget about it, Pit. Link's got it rough right now. Go find him; I'm sure needs you."

Falco rolled his eyes. "When did you turn into such a softie, huh?"

With remarkable agility, Fox swung himself across his subordinate, wrapping his arm around the bird-man's neck and catching him in a headlock. "Softie, huh?" The commander smirked, beginning a firm noogie on the struggling pilot. "Contest, Rings of Doom, five minutes! Last one to finish wears a pink apron!"

"All right, all right!" Falco cried, squirming out of Fox's grasp. He chuckled darkly at his commander. "You're on."

Neither noticed Pit leave.

…..

Pit ambled through the Manor, following another trail of disruption. It was minor this time; some furniture had been upset, a few people knocked over… Link's reputation for being unstoppable seemed to be holding firm. He seemed to have gone through the corridor like a pinball.

As he reached the end of the corridor, it became clear to Pit that Link had gone back outside. He stepped through the opulent door that led into the master gardens.

The gardens were a masterpiece, and were thankfully undisturbed. Pit was grateful Link seemed to have avoided them; Peach would have found him by now if there was one leaf out of place. As Pit lifted his gaze above the flowerbeds, he caught sight of the manor's surrounding grounds.

Situated in the centre of rolling hills and lush forests, the manor had been located for privacy, a place that the contestants could train in peace before they were paraded in front of multi-universal television cameras to fight in the arenas. And this left a lot of ground for Pit to cover if he was to find Link.

However, as Pit watched the Sun begin its descent from its highest, he smiled, knowing exactly where Link would be.

…..

Link sat on the ground, his knees brought to his chest, his arms wrapped tightly around his legs. Snake's words had hurt more than the mercenary knew. The curse had affected the love life he had with his partner, and now it was ruining the rest of his life. He looked at his tail, which in his depression, had wrapped itself defensively around his ankles. He closed his eyes and sighed. It would do no good to rip the appendage away or to yank the ears from his head. The curse had changed him. He wasn't Link any more. The Master Sword seemed to barely know him. His perfect world had come crashing down around him.

The afternoon had given way to evening and Link had not yet moved, still on the same spot. He didn't want to move from here. This spot was crucial to him. By itself, it made Snake's words unsaid. His life drew new meaning on this spot.

And from the almost-silent sound of wings behind him and the slight crunch of leaves, Link knew he'd picked the right place to run to.

"Link?" Came a quiet whisper from behind him.

Link didn't move, finding he didn't have the energy. He really didn't want to even shift his position. Instead, he felt two warm hands on his shoulders. Air moved around him, as if wings were being folded against an angel's back. Softly, a warm body settled itself beside him, the arms wrapping themselves around his body.

Soft lips met his cheek, finally giving him the spark of energy he needed to move. His head perked up from his knees, turning to find his beloved's shining face. Link saw concern in Pit's eyes, which was slowly melting away. "Hey…" he whispered, a ghost of a smile tugging at his lips.

Pit moved himself closer to the Hylian's form, touching his lips to Link's. The warrior kissed him back softly, tenderly… Pit felt emotions that could not be voiced in the silent dance of lips. When they kissed, Link's heart opened to him. The angel could feel every emotion locked up deep in that well, the place Link had been forced to bury his feelings during his arduous quest. From one kiss, he knew exactly how Link felt.

The still air around them combined with the early evening light made the clearing beautifully tranquil, and when Pit spoke, it was never above a whisper, afraid to disturb the silence around them.

"I knew I'd find you here."

Link nodded in response, turning away from Pit and resting his chin back on his knees. He gave a heavy sigh. His eyes not moving from the spot he stared at before him, he replied," It's ruined my life… Everything I had… everything we had… it's falling apart. Everything was perfect and then I had to go and suggest we visit Hyrule…"

"Shh…" Pit laid his finger to Link's lips, silencing him. Hooking another finger under Link's chin, he drew the Hylian's gaze back to his own. "Don't try to blame yourself, Link. No-one could have predicted what would happen."

Link blinked sadly. "It's killing me, Pit… It's like, I'm not _me_ any more. The others don't care what I'm going through… The Blade of Evil's Bane barely knows me…"

Pit gently hugged him. "Shh… we'll work this through. Life's one challenge after another. Some of us face more challenges than others…"

Link averted his eyes, but Pit could sense his agreement.

"Soren'll fix this, Link," Pit continued. "He's the best…"

"But what if he can't?" Link spoke, his eyes returning to Pit's and offering a glimpse of buried feelings. Buried fear. "Or what if that hag was right, and we've got until the next full moon and I'm stuck like this forever? I can't live like this, Pit… I thought I could; I really thought I could, but it's like I'm not me. I don't feel like _me_ any more. I can't do anything." He turned his head back to rest once more upon his knees. "I'm… I'm a burden on you, Pit… and I can't live like that… I can't make you worry every five seconds what kind of disaster I'm going to cause next…"

With one tender squeeze of his arms, Link fell to silence. Pit knew Link would never finish that train of thought. Whatever he was facing now, he knew Link couldn't even contemplate the idea of leaving his soulmate. Even if those words had left Link's mouth, Pit wouldn't have believed them.

The angel nuzzled his face against Link's hair, whispering directly into the warrior's ear. "You remember, don't you? Everything that happened here? Everything that led to it?"

A silent nod was his answer.

"And you know… You knew when we first met… There was no way we'd give each other up. No matter what."

_No matter what._

Before the Hylian's eyes, the memory played once more.

_The newly-qualified Brawlers mingled around the enormous Dining Hall of the Manor, chatting animatedly and casually. A few remained at the sidelines; those who weren't comfortable with crowds._

_Link was among them. His life had been turned upside-down more times than he could count, and that was before he'd been whisked away to this mystical realm. Not only that, but the pain of loss, of __**her**__ departure, weighed heavily on him. His closest friend, the one who knew him so well… and he would never see her again. Even now, he glanced at his shadow occasionally, wishing just once more to hear her giggle…_

_As he took a sip of the strange liquid they called 'soda,' Link glanced around the room once more, and for a fleeting moment, cast his eyes upon the most beautiful creature to ever walk the lands._

_The boy was working his way through the crowd. A mass of lively copper hair, a golden tone to his skin, a handsome toga covering him, and were those __**wings**__? He was visible for but a second and then he was gone, vanished into the moving mass of people, and for long minutes, Link believed he had been seeing things. Then he had seen him again._

_He had found Zelda at the sidelines to asked her about him, and the observant princess had told him. Pit had been one of the last to qualify, and had certainly made a good impression. He was unexpectedly fast, and her descriptions of his blinding assortment of skills had captured Link's attention. He fought against his fears and dived straight into the throng of people, just wishing to find out who the boy was. But despite his best efforts, the boy had vanished._

_It wasn't until a week later that they met face-to-face. The shy, winged creature tried and failed to strike up conversation, but Link saved him, and he had found that Pit was easy to talk to; he was a wonderful listener, and after discovering some similarities in their lives, they found words flowed easily. They became firm friends._

_As the weeks passed and the tournament began, Link found his thoughts being more and more dominated by the angel. He couldn't understand, at first; his mind was still reeling from his adventure and this constant change to his life. But whenever he thought of Pit, everything seemed to become steady. They were best friends; they did a lot together. But Link couldn't help himself wondering that there was more._

_He had confided his feelings in Zelda, and through her came to accept that he wanted Pit as more than a friend. He was bright, smart, always happy… He was so beautiful, so full of life, so innocent, and yet so strong. He would have to tell Pit, though Zelda discouraged him, telling him that, no matter what, Pit would not feel the same way._

_But time dragged on. They remained friends, very close, but nothing more. Link had never thought of being rejected until Zelda had told him, and it became his greatest fear. Until the fateful day he had taken a walk to this very clearing._

_It had become habit for Link to walk in the forests every day. He felt at home amongst the trees. After all, he had been born and raised in their midst. It was like home. And just like home, the wildlife moved around him. The Hylian knew how to move among them without disturbing them. He watched life in the forest go on around him, indifferent to his presence, as though he was never there._

_Someone else conjured the illusion of not being there, he knew now. High above, in the canopy, a shy angel watched Link closely. Able to fly silently, Pit had followed Link on his walks for weeks. He knew he had a strong crush on the handsome Hylian, but nothing could make him admit to it. He was destined for the heart of the Princess, surely, not another boy. Pit was only making it worse for himself by following him, that silent hope burning in his chest. But he could do nothing but keep the flame alive. He had to follow the other boy. He had to be close to him… since he might never get closer. And in his trance, as he followed Link, hopping from treetop to treetop without making a sound, his wish was granted._

_Link loved the call of the kestrel as it flew above the treetops. His eyes found it when he reached a clearing, and saw the bird soaring majestically through the air. He watched it flit amongst the branches, changing direction in a heartbeat, now flying towards the tree behind Link._

_A startled shriek from above caused him to look up, just in time to find a large shape falling towards him alarmingly fast. His instincts saved him, holding out his arms to catch the falling body. And as he sank to the ground to absorb the fall, his eyes met with those of perfection._

_A surprised-looking Pit blushed in Link's arms as the Hylian blinked his disbelief away. In the deafening silence caused by him catching his best friend, and the unknowing subject of his stormy mind, Link heard the kestrel's cry, accompanied by the chorus of chicks in the tree above him._

"_Nice of you to drop in, Pit," Link had remarked, trying his best to pass off the situation. Pit was too close to him, and yet he could not bring himself to put the angel down._

_Pit blushed deeper and stammered, "I-I didn't see the nest… But Momma Bird saw me…"_

_Link chuckled heartily, and Pit had smiled. Oh, that smile. Link wanted that smile, he wanted to be the one to make that face light up._

"_Uh-h… Link, are y-you gonna… put me d-down?" Pit had all-but whispered._

_Link's laugh restarted nervously, and he shuffled, still unable to get his arms to obey him, when Pit had continued._

"…_c-cos if not… I-I… I really… y'know… like you h-holding me…" That smile. And with it hope._

_Link had cast Pit a look of fearful belief, and it was enough. Casting aside all thoughts of consequences, Pit wrapped his arms around Link's neck, pulling himself up to meet the Hylian's unhestitating lips. And as time had stood still, in that perfect moment, Link knew life would never get him down again. The chorus of birds in the trees above were like a choir. And as Link shared his first kiss with the beautiful male, the morning Sun rose above the treetops. When they finally parted, the angel's face shone as bright as gold. Still holding his friend, Link found the courage he had lacked, to whisper the three words that would soon change his life._

"I know now…"

Link turned his head just a little, catching Pit from the corner of his eye. He silently asked Pit what was on his mind.

Pit nuzzled against him again. "I know… that you wanted to protect me, to keep me pure. You saw yourself in me when we became friends, didn't you? What life in the service of goddesses did to you…"

Again, a silent nod answered him.

"I love you for doing that, Link. And I want you to see that I'm strong enough to return the favour. I want to protect you. I want to be the one that holds you together. Let me be strong for both of us, Link. You're not a burden to me. You're anything but. You're my everything. Let me be yours… just hold on to who you are, just a little longer… We'll fix this."

Link didn't reply. He was frozen, overcome with feelings for his beloved. He didn't release them like other people. Instead, a single tear dripped from his eye. Barely above a breath, his lips released but one emotion-soaked word. "Pit…"

In response, the angel hugged him tightly, kissing his cheek. "I love you so much, Link."

Link turned to meet his precious angel's lips with his own. Finally releasing his knees, he wrapped his arms around Pit, drawing them together to share another kiss that pushed the world around them away. The angel's tender words sank into his heart. Pit had said what Link needed to hear. For long moments their lips roved over the other's, expressing feelings that could not be spoken.

When they finally parted, Link's eyes met Pit's, sparkling with love. "I don't deserve someone as wonderful as you…" He breathed.

Pit smiled. "But you've got me… now and forever…" He pecked Link's lips once more, before tightening his hold on the Hylian. "Here…"

Link followed Pit as the angel drew them both to lie on the ground. "What are you doing?" He whispered.

As Pit lay back, he guided Link to lie on his side, his head on the angel's chest. He stroked Link's hair. "You held me… just like this… after you made love to me… right here…" He whispered dreamily.

Link smiled, fondly remembering that wonderful night months ago. In the throes of love, sure of their feelings for each other, Pit had given himself to Link. The cries of passion and the screams of ecstasy had filled their clearing; their own little world, away from everything else. "Our first time…"

Hugging Link close to him, Pit's eyes fell to half-lidded as he too remembered that perfect evening. He looked up at the evening sky, still stroking his lover's hair. "Yeah…" he smiled. "Angels mate for life, Link. I knew you were the one, that night. And I will always be here for you. You're no burden to me."

Being held in Pit's arms, feeling the angel breathe slowly, and hearing his slow heartbeat, Link could not have felt more calm. That night, they had laid like this for hours, just talking and being with each other. And Link knew why. Because he had never felt more at peace.


	8. Chapter 8

Okay, this one was my bad. I apologise to you all for taking so long in getting this together; Day wrote most of it, but the timing of my contribution came at the same time a) my internship finished and b) uni restarted, so I've been just a little bit busy recently :P  
Still, I hope we can both make up for the lateness of this chapter! Enjoy everyone!

* * *

Nine Lives  
Chapter 8

A dove landed on a high branch, readying itself to roost for the night. The forest was calm and quiet, filled with the sweet fragrance of honeysuckle. By now, the sun was touching the horizon, casting the cloud-speckled sky into a brilliant orange. Below the canopy, on the soft, grassy ground, the couple was locked in an embrace.

Link slowly raised himself from Pit's bare chest. He loved the feeling of his skin against that of his lover, but now, he wanted to look down upon his angel. Straddling Pit's waist, he felt the still-new feeling of Pit's member slowly sliding into him as he sat up. Tonight, they were making love in the same place where they had first opened up to each other. To them, this place was sacred.

Pit smiled as he looked up at his lover. His heart could barely contain the love he was feeling at the moment. The time, the place…everything was perfect. Reaching up, his hand lightly caressed Link's cheek. "You mean the world to me, Link," he whispered.

Smiling, Link slowly started rocking his hips. "I love you so much," he softly replied. He then closed his eyes and sighed. "Gods this feels so good." His tail swayed from side to side, almost as if it had a mind of its own.

The two continued to slowly make love until only the stars lit the sky. Their hearts beating together, the world around them slowly faded out of existence. There was nothing around them, only two becoming as one.

…..

"Hey…sleepyhead…" Pit whispered.

Link slowly opened his eyes to look upon the angelic face of his lover. Soft shadows played across Pit's face as the morning sun streamed through the sheer drapes of their bedroom. He barely remembered their trip back to the mansion after such a deep and emotional night; it was as if they'd flown back here on a breeze. Blinking a few times, he smiled. "There's nothing I'd rather see in the morning than the face of my angel."

Pit giggled a little and moved back so Link could sit up. "There's nothing I'd rather see in the morning than the face of my warrior."

Grinning mischievously, Link suddenly lunged at Pit. In an instant, he had the angel on his back, wrists pinned above his head. Although Pit could have easily overpowered the smaller cat-eared boy, he remained in a helpless state. "And so the hunter has caught his prey… What do you plan on doing with me now?" He asked in mock surprise, though it slowly dawned on him that Link might still be a little sensitive towards references to his feline state.

Link chuckled. "Hmm…" he mused, looking down at the pinned angel. "What to do indeed…" He'd picked up on Pit's words, but after last night, he was determined to beat the curse. With that in mind, the idea had stirred within him to actually make the most of this predicament. So, much to Pit's surprise, Link leant down to Pit, nose forward, and sniffed all around Pit's face and hair, taking in the angel's scent, before nuzzling against his cheek cat-like. Just when Pit let out a hum of contentment, Link licked up Pit's cheek with a flick of his tongue.

"Hey!" Pit cried at the feeling, squirming beneath his lover. He twisted his hands out of Link's grip and playfully shoved the cat-boy onto the other side of the bed. He wiped his cheek with his hand, turning to face a smiling Link.

The warrior licked his lips, both triangular ears perked up on his head. "Mmm… my prey does taste good… I just want to eat you all up here and now…"

Pit was taking this in, realizing how comfortable Link seemed to be with his animal side now. He decided to test the waters a little. "Go chase your tail, I'm famished!" With the surprise of the previous night, the two had neglected dinner.

Link laughed, happily and beautifully. It made Pit smile to hear it. The angel began to laugh as well when Link intentionally swished his tail into his outstretched hands and began batting it back and forwards. He really seemed to be at ease with his cursed self now. The previous night, when they had opened their hearts to each other in that clearing… maybe it was true what people said, maybe Pit really had given Link the strength he needed, just by being there for him…

Pit rolled off the bed and collected some clothes, tossing Link his. To his delight, Link caught the socks in his hands, but managed to snag his underwear with his tail. Link winked at his lover, spinning the underwear around his extra limb. Pit giggled, before throwing the Hylian's tunic at him, spread out; it hit the cat-boy with a satisfying 'whump.' Both chuckling, the pair got dressed as their stomachs began to rumble heartily.

As he finished lacing up his sandal, Pit hummed. "Breakfast sure sounds good right now…" He looked up to see Link in front of him, offering Pit his arm. "Well then, allow me to escort my beloved to the dining hall."

…..

"And you should have seen Snake!" Roy howled. "After that flash grenade went off in his belt I could have sworn that his pants had a bit of a stain up front."

Marth grinned at his boyfriend. "You're just saying that because he left early to train. If he was standing here right now I'm sure we'd all be amazed at your rare silence."

"Are you kidding me?" Roy protested. "I'm not afraid…"

"Oh, hi Snake," Marth interrupted, making Roy spin around so fast that he almost spilled the entire contents of his drink all over the table. As he did, he found himself face to face with Link.

"Good morning…Roy," Link mirthfully grinned as his feline ears perked forward.

"Ooops, my bad," Marth said as he tried to look innocent.

"Marth…you ass!" Roy exclaimed, grabbing his goblet. "I almost spilled my orange juice!"

"How are you two doing?" Pit asked as he placed his plate of pancakes down and took a seat.

"We're doing great," Roy said, picking up a sausage and tearing a piece off, chewing noisily. "We were just talking about poor 'ol Snake and his little mishap yesterday."

Marth looked at Link with some concern. "Hey…he said some pretty harsh things. Are you okay?"

Link smiled at the blue-haired swordsman and then glanced at Pit. "Yeah Marth…I'm doing just fine."

…..

Link walked across the training pitch, the morning dew making his boots wet. The morning sun was warming the crisp air as it rose over the distant forest. Today Link was determined not to let his recent transformation get the better of him. He was a swordsman, a professional…he was a warrior. This was something he would take in his stride. No matter what had been thrown his way during his quest, he had overcome it. Head held high, he even realized his feline ears were perked up.

Before coming down to breakfast, Link and Pit had gone to the equipment room where they had undertaken a difficult task. It was almost tragic to Link, but he knew he couldn't handle a full-length knight's sword in current state. The blessed Master Sword was just too long; even if he trained his smaller arm muscles up, he would never be able to properly balance himself against the sword's size. But the fact remained; he was a swordsman. He needed to keep up his form with a blade.

As such, the pair had searched long and hard through the armory to find Link a different sword to train with. The Hylian had picked up every one, weighing them all in his hand and testing their balance, but he'd rejected most of them immediately. The Master Sword was, of course, perfectly balanced. Some were too heavy in the blade, made of steel that was unnecessarily thick, or were unbalanced in the hilt, where the pommel had been made too large. Link hated to be picky, but he had to have a well-made sword. These weapons seemed to be made purely to last as training blades, never for actual combat, and Link couldn't remember the last time he'd swung around a training sword. He wanted to practice with the real thing.

Right as he was about to give up, Pit had stumbled across a slender sword with a dark bronze hand guard and leather wrapped handle. The blade glimmered in the dim light of the room as he tested it in his hand. It was very different to the others, with the blade and hilt matched almost mathematically. Its balance was precise, and after a few swings, Link had chosen it. The blade was much shorter than his normal swords, much more in line with someone of his height, and was light enough to swing around naturally. It was well-made, too; compared to the rest of the blades in the armory, it looked brand new.

Putting his hand on the pommel of the sword in his back, Link stopped at the fence separating the training arena from the grounds. As it was early morning, it was almost deserted out there, but not quite. There, in the center of the training pitch, was Snake. He was busy sparing with Ganondorf, attacking the huge man with a variety of hand-to-hand moves. The enormous Gerudo was showing surprising speed in blocking Snake's strikes, the pair engaged in an intense exchange of aggression.

Link could feel the hair on the back of his neck stand up as a deep growl issued from his throat. He didn't even know he was doing it, but a quick and light elbow to the ribs brought him to his senses.

"Hey…calm down," Pit whispered. "We're not here to challenge…we're here to get to learn your new sword. Besides…just ignore him. He's not worth it."

Link shot the mercenary a look of fresh hatred, before turning to enter the arena. His tail lashed impatiently back and forth as Ganondorf cast the sweat from his forehead, commenting on Snake's newly-trialed combination of kicks and punches.

"Well…look who it is…" Snake said as he glanced to the side. "Puss in boots."

This made Ganondorf chuckle as he looked to the side as well. "I don't know Snake. You might want to watch out for that one. He might scratch ya up a bit."

"Ignore them," Pit said, putting his hand on Link's shoulder and steering him toward the other side of the training field, stopping at the training dummies. "Let's see how you do with your new sword."

Taking a deep breath, Link easily drew the sword and tossed it effortlessly from hand to hand. "It feels good," he said as he made a few swipes and thrusts.

"Good…" Pit said, stepping up to the dummy and checking it was intact. "Let's see some swiping moves."

Link faced the dummy and took his stance. The last time that he had bothered with one of these particular dummies was when he was new to the Smash Mansion. Now, the dummy that seemed so small and insignificant back then, was towering over him, wooden sword in hand and arranged to block a top swing. They were designed such that the Smasher could reposition the sword to try different attacks. The last time he'd used one, he'd shot through the target's defense with every high-speed move.

Narrowing his eyes, Link leapt at the dummy. Letting loose his familiar battle cry, he swung the new sword so it slashed across the dummy's chest, making it teeter back a little. An impressively-straight line was left in the wood. As his boots hit the ground he turned and leapt again, this time higher. As he came down his sword made contact with the dummy's weapon; the steel blade wasn't the perfect, ever-sharp edge of the Master Sword, but it sent chucks of wood flying impressively, carving a deep gouge out of it. Again, as soon as his feet touched the ground he was ready to leap again, but he stopped as Pit entered the picture.

"Okay…okay…that was quite something," the angel said with an approving smile. "I don't remember you being that quick before."

It was true, Link felt more lithe…more energetic. He felt like he could leap over the entire dummy if he had to. As he stood there watching Pit reposition the mannequin's arm, he thought about what had just happened. Along with the incredible flexibility, he had felt as though time had slowed down as he had taken his swings.

"Alright, let's try it from this angle," Pit said as he set the dummy with the wooden sword set to catch a side swipe.

Suddenly, they both heard clapping. As one they turned their heads to see Snake and Ganondorf standing to the side. "Aww, is that your _My First Sword_, Puss?" Snake taunted. "Keep practicing and maybe you'll be ready for a real sword someday!"

The Gerudo beside him loosed a hearty guffaw. "I've had bigger knives with my lunch! Is this what Hyrule's Hero has been reduced to? Poking things with a little stick?"

"Snake…Ganon…leave us alone," Pit called back, walking away from the dummy. "We didn't interfere with your training."

"Calm down, Feathers," Snake laughed back. "We just wanted to watch the great Hero of Twilight in action. I mean, it's not every day you see a pussy make a pussy out of himself."

Again, Link felt the hair on the back of his neck rise. He spun and faced the laughing mercenary. "Alright, Snake!" he exclaimed, spinning the sword around his hand almost as fast as the Master Sword. "You, me, arena, at noon!"

"Link...no!" Pit insisted, rushing up to the fuming cat-boy as he sheathed his blade. "You're not ready for this."

Link shrugged his shoulder from Pit's hand as he stared at the surprised man, his ears flat against his sandy blond hair. "Silence? What's wrong? Cat got your tongue?" he asked, grinning.

"You versus me?" Snake chuckled after a few quiet seconds. By now he had approached and was standing a few feet from the pair. He glanced Link up and down. With a chuckle, he picked a grenade off his belt, tossing the unarmed explosive in his hand as he returned his eyes to Link's. "Oh, this'll be too easy. I look forward to it." Turning, he strode back to the side where Ganondorf was standing, trying to keep from laughing.

"Link…" Pit started as he turned to face his lover. "Are you sure about this? We both know what Snake's like! You remember what happened to Yoshi a few months ago…poor guy had to spend a week in the infirmary."

With tail swishing angrily back and forth, Link watched as Snake and Ganondorf walked away. "Yeah," he said calmly, feeling Pit's hands resting on his shoulder. "I can take him."

…..

Word had spread quickly that there was to be a duel at noon and the stands of the arena were full with brawlers and citizens of Smashville. It actually seemed more crowded than a normal match.

Pit stood with Link off to the side. The entire morning had been spent training and he was afraid that Link might be too worn out to fight. Glancing down at his lover he was surprised to see him with sword out, literally bouncing on his feet. He knew better than to try to talk Link out of this, but that didn't mean that he wasn't concerned. Pulling Link into a side hug, Pit nuzzled his cheek into his soft, blond hair. "Just…be careful out there," he whispered.

Link turned and gave Pit a quick hug. "Don't worry…I'll be fine," he grinned. He then turned and walked onto the arena, the grass soft against his feet. In training he had found that even though his trusty boots were sturdy and supple, they still weighed him down a bit, so he had exchanged them for some more appropriate footwear. In his hand was his newly-employed sword and across his back was a small bow and quiver; just like with the sword, the Hero's Bow was too large and too powerful for him to wield. He couldn't even draw the string, so he'd had to fish through the armory for a stand-in. Likewise, he'd had to exchange his favored steel Hylian Shield for his lighter wooden Ordon one, a decision he hoped he wouldn't regret in facing someone armed with explosives. However, he'd tested most of his other tools, and found he could still use them in a fight.

Across from him, smoking a cigarette and looking extremely full of himself, was Snake. "So, the kitty is ready to play?" he asked, taking a long drag.

Link grinned, flashing his slowly forming fang-like teeth. "Oh yeah…I'm ready."

Snake straightened himself and flicked the cigarette butt toward the smaller Hylian. "Don't think I'm going easy on you 'cause of those ears, Cat-Boy. Remember, you wanted this!"

The two stood facing each other for a few seconds, waiting for the other to make the first move. Link's feline ears were perked forward, his tail swishing cautiously from side to side. Snake flinched and Link leapt upward in surprise. The mercenary's broke into a grin and then he started laughing. "Kind of jittery aren't you?"

Link narrowed his eyes, cursing what he had just done. Usually he'd spot a feint, but he'd let his instincts act for him. He took a deep breath and tried to get his feline reactions a little more under control. Just then, Snake struck.

The attack was a series of hand to hand blows to Link's face and chest, causing him to stumble back and eventually trip. Almost immediately he jumped to his feet and dodged another wave of blows.

"Good, very good," Snake said as he crouched down and practically slithered from side to side. Link knew all of Snake's tactics so he wasn't surprised when a small grenade came bouncing toward him. Almost instinctively, Link batted the small metal sphere to the side where it detonated into a small poof of black smoke. Although the grenades were cut-down versions of what Snake was used to using on his missions, they were still capable of jarring an opponent for a few vital seconds, and Link had no intention of letting that happen. Two more came raining down on him, which he easily batted away. He quickly realized he'd knocked the second aside by catching it with his tail; as he dodged the rocket Snake aimed at his feet, he began to realize he was starting to treat his tail just like another limb. Even more prominent as he dived to the side to avoid a mortar round, Link noticed he was instinctively using his tail to balance himself. It seemed to cancel his recovery time; before, if he overstepped, he'd waste a precious second regaining his balance, but suddenly his body felt like it was flowing between motions. The fight was becoming more like a dance.

The crowd cheered each time Link avoided one of Snake's 'toys'. Hearing this, Link smiled. He had always drawn energy from the crowd and now he was feeling more and more energetic…more and more alive.

Grinning, Link looked around and then back at Snake just to see the man toss a small number of small, silver disks into the air, not at him, but around him. His smile faltered. He knew Snake's toys included proximity fused mines. If he were to get too close or touch one of those disks, they would explode with enough force to launch him a foot in the air; not enough for his battle-hardened body to be injured, but enough to let Snake let loose with his fists.

"Is Kitty sure that he wants to still play?" Snake grinned.

Glancing around the ground, he was barely able to make out the disks now randomly scattered around the grass. His gaze then met Snake's. Like earlier, he could feel the hair on the back of his neck stand up. Calmly, he removed the bow from his shoulder and notched an arrow. "You aren't going to get the best of THIS cat!" he exclaimed, taking aim.

Used to facing archers, Snake readied himself but was surprised when Link launched an arrow into the ground, making one of his disks detonate. Normally it would have been much harder to see them, but now…his senses were keener, and his motions were faster. He notched another arrow and fired at another disk, making it explode.

The look on Snake's face was priceless. "Fine then…" he muttered as he pulled his prized missile launcher from his shoulder and took aim. A small missile fired from the tube and headed directly toward Link. This is exactly what he had been waiting for; it was Snake's style to pepper the ground with mines then make his foes dodge the heat-seeking missiles. Immediately he ran, not away from the small projectile, but toward it, bouncing between the remaining mini-mines scattered around. Skidding on the ground in a crouching position, he slid underneath the slow missile, making it change course. Then, jumping to his feet, he continued his course directly toward Snake.

"What the…" Snake started as Link jumped high, landing directly before the surprised man.

"Hey there," he smiled, a touch of mirth on his face. "Nice talking to ya." Then, in the blink of an eye, he jumped up and landed with both his feet on Snake's shoulders. He then immediately leaped from Snake, high into the air.

Such was the design of the launcher that Snake had to carefully sling it across his back when he was done, and as a result he barely had time to react to the leaping cat-boy. Just as Link had left his shoulders he realized what Link had planned, and threw up his arms just in time. The small rocket didn't do much damage when it detonated, but it was certainly enough to knock the mercenary back a few feet. His ears ringing, Snake stumbled until he fell back into something solid. And as the roar of the crowd trickled back into his ears, he realized it was 'someone,' not 'something.'

Link had felt the explosion more than he'd heard it as he sailed through the air. Landing gracefully a few feet behind the mercenary, he turned to see Snake stumbling, and quickly formed his plan. He caught the stunned agent in a headlock from behind, wrapping his arm tightly around Snake's neck. As the stronger mercenary instinctively went for Link's arm, the warrior used his other to steady his grip. As both fighters stood, their arms occupied and Snake squirming in Link's grasp, Link shot a glance at his captive opponent. He flashed a smirk.

"Oh, and to answer your question," he breathed to Snake. "Yes, Pit did get some 'pussy' last night, which is _way_ more than you're gonna get tonight!"

There was the sound of several distinct clicks, and Link grinned as he saw the whites of Snake's eyes as he lifted his tail, threaded through with the ring-pins of apparently all Snake's grenades. With just a second's hesitation, enough to jingle the metal pins, Link brought one foot to the mercenary's back, and kicked off him at the same time as he released his arms. Using his tail for balance, Link stayed upright as Snake once again lost his, stumbling as he scrambled to unclip the grenades. In the same instant, Link launched himself backwards, wrenching the shield from his back to hold before him.

_BOOM!_

Air rushed past Link, ruffling the hair at the tips of his ears, the sound of the explosion fading smoothly to the sound of a girlish scream. Link peeked over the top of his shield to see a black scorch-mark on the ground in front of him, and apparently no Snake. After an instant wondering what had happened, he noticed a small, black shape shooting through the air in the distance, vaguely Snake-shaped, apparently screaming, and heading away at very high speed.

Link let out a victory chuckle behind his shield as the crowd went ballistic. He threw out his arms, grabbing his sword from its sheath and spinning it around his hand in celebration, before bowing to the collected audience. He turned to see Pit cheering the strongest from the sidelines, bouncing on his feet and punching the air. Head held high, Link strutted across the arena, wrapped his arms around Pit's waist and kissed the beaming angel soundly.

Link pulled back to meet Pit's eyes. "Even with ears and a tail, I'm still Link underneath," he winked at Pit. "And I think Snake just got the message as well."


	9. Chapter 9

Wait. What's this? Is it REALLY possible? Have Dayraider and Gargravarr FINALLY knocked their heads together enough to finish another chapter of NL, several months after the last one?  
I am astonished (and somewhat embarrassed!) to say that our last update was 6th October last year - that's SIX MONTHS. O.o So sorry to all of our readers it's taken so long! We took the ending back to the drawing board for a while, and then both of us ended up buried in work for months. I'm personally gearing up for my final exams for Uni - wish me luck!  
The good news is that Day and I are really proud of this chapter. On a side note, I'll take the opportunity to shamelessly plug a new piece of fiction I'm working on - an original neko-yaoi story named 'Yuuki's Song.' It's posted on my FictionPress account and on my deviantArt; thus far, it's had little interest, and I'd love to see some reviews or comments on it because I feel it's got real potential. And let me emphasise - it's neko yaoi! ^_^ My deviantArt is linked via my profile, if you can't find the fic, send me a message.  
Enjoy!

* * *

Nine Lives  
Chapter 9

The mood in the Mansion was completely different that afternoon. No longer was Link's transformation the subject of whispers and murmurs in the halls. Instead, conversation centred on his flawless defeat of Snake in the arena. The comments focused not just on the advantages Link's cat features had given him, but the Hylian's returned confidence and grace.

In the arena, Link always had a certain style when he fought. A supremely skilled swordsman, aided by his young and agile body, he was all about speed and variety; a rapid yet fluid sequence of unpredictable attacks. Were he to dash past his opponent with a series of sword strikes, they would never know what they would turn around to face; would he resume his strikes? Have an arrow nocked and ready? Would they be looking at a bomb sizzling at their feet? No amount of battle strategy ever paid off around Link; the Hylian always improvised. No predictability, just a string of attacks carried out with amazing confidence.

So, to see Link return to that state of mind, head held high in confidence, and once again dazzling his opponent with his unpredictability, it etched in the message.

Yes, Link had cat features, but he was _still Link_, still the same Hylian who commanded their respect.

So what if he was now smaller? It meant he was more agile.

The ears? Sharpened his hearing.

The tail? He could balance on a pinpoint with it.

The rest of his feline features? Just made him all the more energetic and aggressive.

It all added up to one thing; picking on the now-feline Link was no different to picking on the Hylian Warrior. As Snake had found out the hard way, pissing him off was going to lead to him shoving that sword somewhere unpleasant.

Link smiled as he and Pit entered the Dining Hall to rapturous applause. Pit sidestepped with a grin, allowing Link to take an exaggerated bow, beaming his thanks to the diners. Pit quickly slid his hand back into the Hylian's before the attention got to his ego, dragging his cat-eared lover to a seat with Marth and Roy.

Marth clapped his hand onto Link's shoulder in congratulations as he sat down. Across from him, Roy held out his fist for Link to knock his own against.

Grinning at his friends, then back at his lover, Link settled down at the table as Pit remained standing, offering to get the pair some lunch. The instant Pit was out of earshot, Marth elbowed Roy, muttering, "You never offer to get me lunch after I win!"

Roy glared back at Marth, rubbing his ribs. "Well, neither do you!"

Link watched the exchange with his head held on his hand, smiling at his friends. "Guys, calm down. One of you needs to take some initiative, y'know, change things…"

Both Roy and Marth regarded each other for a long moment, but then slowly turned around to give Link an odd look. Roy leant forward, a smirk on his face. "Oh, is that so? And just what did you and **Pit** change, huh? Which one of you _took the initiative_?"

Link blushed deeply; suddenly his mind wouldn't string words together. "Uh…"

Roy threw himself back in his chair and laughed heartily towards the ceiling. Marth, too, broke into a fit of laughter. Link's face had gone a deep red, his ears flattening to his head; he hadn't expected Roy to pick up on that. It seemed his friends were paying _very_ close attention to him right now.

After a few minutes of slowly receding laughter, a tray slid in front of Link and Pit slipped into the chair beside him.

"What's so funny?" a grinning Pit enquired, looking up from his tray at the quietly-chortling pair. "You guys see Falco, too?"

The other three at the table immediately turned towards the kitchen; Link vaguely recalled that today was Falco's turn to cook.

His jaw fell.

The blue bird-man was wearing a full-length apron, the graphics on the front depicting a scantily-dressed woman's body, with outlines in bright pink.

The pilot's cheeks were visibly red even through his blue feathers.

The table collapsed into hysterical laughter that let the previous conversation fade far away.

…..

Some time later found the pair sitting nervously back in their room. Once more, Soren sat in a chair with Link on the bed. On another chair beside the Sage was a large, heavy tome printed in letters Link couldn't read.

Soren had been at it for an hour or so; mumbling words that Link didn't think he could even pronounce while waving his hands before the cat-Hylian. This was, as Soren put it, an attempt to discover what kind of magic had been used to curse him.

"_Since she was silent, she could have used any kind of witchcraft to cause this. I'll have to run through what I know, see if the curse reacts to anything."_

And so, Soren had supposedly been casting small spells before Link, and he was supposed to say if he felt any different; doing this, Soren had assured him, would cause some kind of reaction in Link when similar magic was used very close to him.

So far, nothing had happened.

Link's eyelids had already fallen halfway, his remaining slits unfocused on Soren through sheer monotony. An hour of sitting still was entirely unthinkable to the Hylian. If anything, Link was beginning to wonder if Soren was secretly trying to hypnotise him, or lull him to sleep as an attempt at a joke, but just then the magician's voice quietly trailed off and his eyes returned to Link's.

"Feel anything?"

Link slid his eyes back into focus, but didn't move. "Severe boredom, but otherwise nothing."

Soren closed his eyes and sighed. He placed his hand to his cheek and rested his elbow on his knee. "I've been through the magic of fifteen races."

Link let his body go slack and fell back on the bed. "You gave it a try, Soren. All I can say is thanks." He stretched all his limbs, including his tail. There was something deeply satisfying about this action, far more than when he was pure Hylian, and he drew the stretch out as long as he could, before releasing a content sigh.

Soren shook his head, looking Link over. "It still amazes me just how wide a field magic truly is. At its most basic it is all the same, but it is how it is summoned that creates these differences. Every race performs enchantments differently."

Link sighed. "Too bad she wasn't Hylian. Zelda might have been able to help."

Soren nodded, unseen by Link. "True. I have spoken to Her Highness; she told me she is unaware of any humans in your land who are able to wield magic. She believed it a gift reserved only for those of the Hylian race." He turned to the other side of the room, where a stack of assorted books sat. "She introduced me to some of Hyrule's trading partners and I have done my best to discover all that I can of their magical abilities, but… I fear these are the limits of my resources."

Link sighed and sat up, letting his arms fall slack into his lap. "Maybe you've done all you can with what you have. It was wonderful of you to try, Soren, I really, really appreciate it, but… maybe this is the best we can do."

The sage began studying Link silently. After a moment, he spoke. "Link… forgive me, but… you do not seem as eager for the curse to be broken…?"

To Soren's masked surprise, Link merely shrugged. "It's a little weird… I mean, it'd be good for me to get my body back as it was, but… now that I'm getting used to it, there's a few advantages, you know? Taking on Snake and winning… I'm still _me_, and if you can't find anything to break the curse, then…" He shrugged again. "Maybe it's not too big a deal…"

Link's eyes flicked away from the young sorcerer, darting around the room as if on their own. To Soren, it was obvious that Link was no longer paying attention to him. Rather than push the conversation again, he merely observed the Hylian with a studious eye, thinking over his words. It went without saying that Soren would still try to help him; if anything, he was getting more determined to best the magic. But the swordsman's confession threw him a little; did he really mean that? Was he really prepared to spend the rest of his life with cat ears?

But then his eyes went from Link to Pit, and somehow he understood. Pit was looking dreamily at his lover, and as sure as if the angel had spoken, the words on his mind were 'cute.' _Something_ had changed between them, and it seemed to have made up for the curse. As Link's eyes and ears flickered on their own, Pit's smile only seemed to grow.

Soren just couldn't put his finger on it, but he could _feel_ something had changed between them, and where before they had both been on the verge of tears on hearing Soren's advice, now they just seemed to be _happy_. Happy with the way things were. Internally, he shrugged; maybe Link was speaking truthfully.

Maybe the pair really were happy with the way things were.

…..

"Hey… c'mon, let's go."

Strong hands slid over his shoulders, but instead of gripping, they began to squeeze and rub tenderly. The sage sighed, closing his eyes and rolling his head back. "Ahhh…" He purred as those hands rubbed away the tension.

Lips kissed his cheek and he smiled, turning to meet them with his own. He opened his eyes to meet that familiar shock of blue hair.

"I don't know…" Soren mewled, squirming a little as the hands continued their blissful work.

"You've been working so hard, c'mon, you need a break!" Ike whispered. "Let's go to the lounge."

"Why don't you go? You don't need to keep me company…"

Ike kissed him again. "Oh, but I love to be around you…"

Soren smiled, that rare expression that only the blue-haired general could coax out of him. "Aww… give me another half-hour, I think I'm onto something…"  
Ike rubbed his shoulders. "My love, if I have to sit here and listen to Marth and Roy go through _another_ session next door, well, I might just have to jump you here and now…"

"Right here? Up against all these precious books?" Soren replied.

"Mm-hmm… Think of it this way, those books will be there when we get back…"

Soren snickered momentarily; for someone who had once been utterly emotionless, it was a joy to hear any sound of mirth out of him. "I'd much rather my research get disturbed _without_ upsetting my workspace… All right, let's go."

The sage pushed back his chair and stretched powerfully, feeling several joints pop back into place. He blinked, looking at the clock. Wow, he'd been at it all day; from the moment he woke up this morning to mid-evening. He didn't even remember eating lunch, though the discarded crumb-filled plate indicated Ike had brought him something.

A few moments later, with his arms still stretched, he felt Ike grab him from behind and hug him tight, making him smile. The mercenary was so much taller than him, but shrank to Soren's level whenever needed. Oftentimes it was easy to forget that difference. "You know, I would not mind that other interruption you mentioned… so long as the Princess' books are not obliged to observe…" He purred.

Ike kissed behind his ear. "Later… I'd like to wear you out properly…"

Soren licked his lips.

"After all, committed hard work does deserve a reward…"

…..

A few minutes later, the couple slipped into the lounge. It was far from empty; off to the side, in front of a TV so big no-one bothered estimating its size, Mario, Luigi, Bowser and Wario seemed to be engaged in an intense racing video game. Peach and Daisy sat on the nearby sofa, quietly cheering for their respective partners. Ness and Lucas were both sitting at a table by the bookshelf in the corner, thick books open in front of them; it seemed they were doing homework or something. Fox lay on his back on the thick rug near them, a datapad held in front of his eyes. Every so often he chuckled softly at its screen.

Soren observed that the fireplace was surprisingly sparse; no less than three large, luxurious sofas surrounded the magnificent hearth, but only one place was occupied. Zelda sat in a place that neither faced the fireplace, nor was close to the softly crackling fire, flicking through a book with seemingly little interest. Soren directed Ike to sit opposite the Princess; as soon as the large mercenary had seated himself, Soren slid down beside him, nestling himself against his lover.

Zelda glanced up from her book to see them. "Ah, Ike, Soren," she greeted, placing the book to one side.

"Princess," the sage responded. Ike merely nodded.

"How is your research going?"

"Slowly. I do not know much about your land or your neighbours, and very little in your books indicates if any are magical."

"You are certain the woman Link encountered was not of Hyrule?"

"Both Link and Pit have confirmed that she did not possess Hylian ears. If it is true that your race is the only known Hyrulean people to possess magic, then logically she must not be a native."

Zelda returned her hands to her lap. "I see."

"If I may say, Princess… your knowledge of your neighbours and trading partners, as documented… is…" The sage hesitated. "…not especially detailed…"

Zelda gave a wry smile. "You may say so, Soren. Unfortunately it is an expected by-product of living in Hyrule; our land has fallen to peril more times than it has prospered." She gave a chuckle. "Many are somewhat afraid of forging trade relationships with our neighbours, lest they invite opportunity for ruin into our land."

Soren raised an eyebrow. "Is that official royal policy?"

Zelda chuckled again. "Shall we say… though it is not my way to hold back my land, I am wary of strangers, especially those who may bear us gifts…"

Soren's lips curved slightly. "I suppose it must be difficult to be in such a position…"

Zelda gave a solemn nod. "Indeed… There are times when I believe that the only breathing space our land has is the Chosen Hero. Over its history, Link and his ancestors have brought Hyrule back from the brink of catastrophe more times than they can be praised for. If disaster were to strike again, at least now our blessed Hero has awoken."

"You might have to wake him up from a catnap, though," Ike quipped, making the Princess giggle a little.

Soren did not reply for a moment. "By the way, where is Link?"

"I believe he and Pit were out sparring." She glanced through one of the expansive windows out into the grounds, judging the golden sunlight. "In fact, I believe they will be returning shortly."

Sure enough, just a few minutes later, the door to the grounds clicked open, and a pair of sweat-drenched Brawlers stepped into the room. Link entered first, lightly dressed in a green shirt and sweatpants, his face flushed from exertion. Behind him, Pit had his chiton thrown over his shoulder, leaving him wearing only his shorts and undershirt. It wasn't remarkably warm outside, and the spring weather got cold in the evenings, but during the day it was certainly possible to work hard enough to enter the manor glowing like a hot iron.

Link was gently stretching his arms, cooling down from his workout. "Yeah, much warmer in here."

A sudden roar made a few people's heads turn; Bowser had stood up and was almost ready to breathe fire at his competition. Something about "green shells" was heard amongst his ranting and raving before Peach casually stood up from the sofa, picked up a fire extinguisher from the side of the room and doused the immense lizard from head to foot in foam.

"Livelier too," Pit chuckled, steering Link over to the fireplace as he spotted their friends. The angel slid smoothly into the soft cushions of the sofa facing the fireplace; the cat-eared Hylian sat on the floor in front of Pit, his back to the sofa, and began stretching out his legs.

"Hey guys," Link greeted the others. They exchanged greetings as a feminine scream sounded from the TV area, followed by a cackle, the sound of a door being thrown open and a voice crying "Mama-mia, not again!"

"Good workout?" Ike asked them.

Both angel and Hylian nodded. Pit grinned. "Watch this."

He extended his hand as if to slap the side of Link's head and quickly swiped. Instantly, the triangular ear on that side of Link's head snapped in the direction, and Link's arm flew up to grab Pit's wrist, intercepting him long before the hand made contact.

The friends chuckled softly as Link released Pit's arm; the angel in return ruffled his lover's hair and stroking the feline ears.

"Those are quite some reflexes, Link," Soren observed; his eyes were once again taking in every aspect of the Hylian's form.

Link softly stretched out his other leg and sighed, relaxing back against the sofa. Softly, Pit's hands found their way to Link's shoulders and began to rub. "Mm-hmm… yeah, I noticed… it's like I can hear a pin drop a hundred feet away. Or a mischievous little angel taking a swipe at me," he laughed.

"Oh, punish me," Pit snickered.

Link turned his head to look at Pit, a predatory smile on his face. "Just remember, you asked for it!"

The others laughed as Link pounced onto his lover, pinning him to the sofa and tickling him. Pit shrieked with laughter until tears were rolling down his cheeks; Zelda stood up, mumbling something about finding another fire extinguisher 'to hose them down.'

Finally stilling, the pair looked at each other, both grinning. Then Link leant down, and nuzzled against Pit's cheek. The angel giggled and hugged his lover, shuffling until they were both sitting upright on the sofa, with Link nestled against the angel, purring softly.

"So, how was your day, Soren?" Pit said, displacing the quiet around them.

The sage shrugged a little. "I have still yet to achieve a breakthrough. Scattered mentions of magic, nothing I can solidly identify. I believe I am on the right course, but… it may take time…" Soren's words slowed a little at the end of his speech, as he watched the smaller Hylian shuffle against his lover, trying to get comfortable. Pit merely smiled at him, stroking his hair.

Ike slipped into the conversation with reassurances, and when Zelda returned empty-handed, casual chatter began to flourish. For the next few hours, the friends talked at length about their day, laughing and joking, even rushing to the window to watch as Bowser attempted to conquer a hillside in the distance with Peach in his arms, a squat pair of red-ringed blue overalls jogging up after him hurling balls of fire. More of the Brawlers trickled in, and soon the evening adopted its familiar family atmosphere. Snake and Samus entered the room snickering as usual, though after the younger Brawlers reminding Snake at length about being beaten by a 'pussy cat,' his humour vanished and he stormed off with Samus in tow.

Slowly, the golden light of evening faded and the night drew in. With people coming and going, the others shuffled around the seats until Pit sat on the floor close to the crackling fireplace, his back to the sofa, and a sleeping Link curled up against him, his head on the angel's legs. He even had his tail wrapped around his body, sleeping silently and occasionally twitching his limbs. To the younger members and to the females, it seemed to be the 'cutest thing' they had ever seen.

To one member of the group, it was far from it. Soren had been watching Link like a hawk ever since he'd entered. And to see him curled up asleep, twitching and ready to shoot alert, it was ringing alarm bells in the sage's head.

_One thing's for certain. I wish I hadn't been right, but Link may end up becoming more feline than ever._

_Whether he likes it or not, we've got to break that curse before it's too late._


End file.
